Towards optical detection of the Bloch-Siegert effect in atomic vapors

We describe our investigations aiming at the detection of the Bloch–Siegert effect (BSE) with nonlinear magneto– optical effects. Although theoretical aspects of the BSE were thoroughly investigated, there are still open questions concerning experimental demonstration of the effect. The most recent BSE experiment was performed in alkali–metal vapor, where atoms were pumped by electron collisions, but the results of those investigations were rather inconclusive. Here we propose to search for the BSE with optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) and describe the preparation of a dedicated setup providing improved capabilities for observation of the effect in atomic vapor. As the main difficulty is the weakness of the effect and presence of other competing processes, we concentrate on identification and assessment of various systematic effects that may imitate and/or perturb the investigated effect