Comment on: Magnetic field measurements in Rb vapor by splitting Hanle resonances under the presence of a perpendicular scanning magnetic field

Abstract

Abstract: In a recent article in this journal Grewal and Pattabiraman reported on the splitting of ground state Hanle resonances (recorded with linearly polarized light) by a transverse field. They claimed a “linearly proportional” dependence on the transverse field strength and supported this observation with results from numerical simulations. In this comment we argue that the splitting occurs only beyond a certain threshold field value and that it has a strong non-linearity near threshold. We base this claim on our previously published algebraic expressions for the line shapes and support this by experimental evidence. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]