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arXiv:0910.5171 · Physical Review A

Light-induced atomic desorption and diffusion of Rb from porous alumina

S. Villalba, H. Failache, A. Lezama

Published Mar 15, 2010• 25 citations
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Abstract

We present a study of light-induced atom desorption (LIAD) of an alkali-metal atom (Rb) in porous alumina. We observe the variation due to LIAD of the rubidium density in a vapor cell as a function of illumination time, intensity, and wavelength. The simple and regular structure of the alumina pores allows a description of the atomic diffusion in the porous medium in which the diffusion constant only depends on the known pore geometry and the atomic sticking time to the pore wall. A simple one-dimensional theoretical model is presented which reproduces the essential features of the observed signals. Fitting of the model to the experimental data gives access to the diffusion constant and consequently the atom-wall sticking time and its dependence on light intensity and wavelength. The nonmonotonic dependence of the LIAD yield on the illumination light frequency is indicative of the existence of Rb clusters in the porous medium.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.81.032901

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Comment on “Light-induced atomic desorption and diffusion of Rb from porous alumina”

Krzysztof Rębilas

In a recent article [Phys. Rev. A 81, 032901 (2010)] a theory of light-induced atomic desorption for Rb in porous alumina is proposed. We point out that both the main assumption of this theory (the diffusion inside the pores treated as a random walk with the adsorption to the inner surface of the pores at any step) and several further hypotheses supporting the theoretical model require a revision.

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We present a study of light-induced atom desorption (LIAD) of an alkali-metal atom (Rb) in porous alumina. We observe the variation due to LIAD of the rubidium density in a vapor cell as a function of illumination time, intensity, and wavelength. The simple and regular structure of the alumina pores allows a description of the atomic diffusion in the porous medium in which the diffusion constant only depends on the known pore geometry and the atomic sticking time to the pore wall. A simple one-dimensional theoretical model is presented which reproduces the essential features of the observed signals. Fitting of the model to the experimental data gives access to the diffusion constant and consequently the atom-wall sticking time and its dependence on light intensity and wavelength. The nonmonotonic dependence of the LIAD yield on the illumination light frequency is indicative of the existence of Rb clusters in the porous medium.
We review some recent studies on light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) from dielectric surfaces. Alkali-metal atoms adsorbed either on organic films or on porous glass are released into the vapor phase under illumination. The measurements were performed in Pyrex resonance cells either coated with siloxane films or containing a porous glass sample. In both cases, the experimental results show that LIAD can be used to produce atomic densities suitable for most atomic physics experiments. Moreover, we find that photoinduced effects, correlated with LIAD, produce reversible formation and evaporation of alkali-metal clusters in porous glass. These processes depend on the light frequency, making the porous glass transmittance controllable by light.
Huge light-induced rubidium atom desorption has been observed from porous silica samples placed inside Pyrex cells kept at room temperature. The desorption rate and the maximum vapour density change have been measured as a function of the desorbing light intensity. Their values are comparable with those recently obtained in Pyrex cells coated with organic films. A linear dependence of the desorption rate and a square-root dependence of the maximum density increase on light intensity indicate that diffusion inside the glass pores is a key mechanism. The application of this effect to develop light-controlled atomic dispensers compatible with high vacuum environment is discussed.
The light-induced desorption and diffusion of alkali-metal atoms in organic films are interesting fields of investigation. An impressive demonstration is given by the recently observed light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) effect, where a huge alkali-metal atom desorption from siloxane films, previously exposed to atomic vapors, is induced by weak and nonresonant light. In this paper, experimental data and a one-dimensional theoretical model of the effect are presented. The model gives a good description of the vapor density dynamics by taking into account both the atomic diffusion inside the coating and the surface desorption. General equations are reported and discussed within the limits of experimental interest. The potential barrier at the vapor-surface interface and the activation energy for Rb in (poly)dimethylsiloxane have been determined.
We studied the light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) at different geometries and homogeneities of cell illumination. An original system for homogeneous illumination of the cells was developed and the Rb D2 line absorption spectra in several uncoated and coated cells were compared without illumination, with single-side illumination and with homogeneous illumination. The transmission as a function of the illumination intensity and the tuning direction was measured. The absorption coefficients with and without illumination of the stem were compared. The system developed for homogeneous illumination increases the efficiency of the LIAD, enables the investigation of LIAD without lateral diffusion, prevents cluster formation and reduces the influence of the stem. A good knowledge of the factors influencing the alkali atom spectra will be useful not only for the development of new LIAD-loaded atomic devices and their miniaturization, but also for the study of atom-dielectric surface interactions and the development of new all-optical methods for surface and coating diagnostics.