Abstract
Parametric downconversion in media has, so far, proved to be the most effective way of generating squeezed light. The development of frequency tunable sources of such non-classical light opens up novel possibilities in atomic physics and spectroscopy. A brief overview of the results in this area of quantum optics is given, and a new experiment aimed on subshot-noise measurement of atomic orientation is described. We report a preliminary 5 dB quantum noise reduction observed directly around the 917 nm Cs line. We introduce a figure of merit for the medium utilized for squeezed light generation in an optical parametric oscillator and evaluate some available nonlinear media from this perspective.