Optical rotation detection for atomic spin precession using a superluminescent diode

Optical rotation for atomic precession is detected using a superluminescent diode (SLD). The feasibility of the optical rotation detection using the SLD as a probe light source is theoretically and experimentally studied. The SLD has a more uniform Gauss configuration without additional beam shaping with a relatively high power, which has potential in the application of gradient magnetic field measurements. In addition, the robustness and compactness enables a new way for optical rotation detections, especially for applications in magnetoencephalography systems.