Detection of radio frequency magnetic fields using nonlinear magneto-optical rotation

We describe a room-temperature alkali-metal atomic magnetometer for detection of small, high frequency magnetic fields. The magnetometer operates by detecting optical rotation due to the precession of an aligned ground state in the presence of a small oscillating magnetic field. The resonance frequency of the magnetometer can be adjusted to any desired value by tuning the bias magnetic field. We demonstrate a sensitivity of $100\thinspace{\rm pG/\sqrt{Hz}\thinspace(RMS)}$ in a 3.5 cm diameter, paraffin coated cell. Based on detection at the photon shot-noise limit, we project a sensitivity of $20\thinspace{\rm pG/\sqrt{Hz}\thinspace(RMS)}$.

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