Optical Bloch modeling of magnetic dipole transitions in a four-state system and its application in ion trapping: tutorial

Abstract

This tutorial covers the derivation of the optical Bloch equations for a four-state atomic system interacting with an electromagnetic field via magnetic dipole transitions. The derivation of the equations is discussed at length and from first principles such that any student or graduate with a basic quantum mechanics background could follow. The tutorial shows numerical simulations of the model under different conditions, rounding off the understanding of the dependencies of the model. Finally, the functionality of the model is shown by fitting the model to experimental data of ytterbium-171 ions undergoing Rabi oscillations.