Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2608.27700

Quantified absorption of laser light by silver atoms in a hollow-cathode lamp

Matthew P. Wilde, Richard G. Wolfendale, Mark Bengyel, Ifan G. Hughes, Philip D. Gregory

Published Aug 27, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a quantitative study of laser absorption on the $5{^{2}}\mathrm{S}_{1/2} \rightarrow 5{^{2}}\mathrm{P}_{3/2}$ transition of silver in a hollow-cathode lamp. Spectra obtained using a weak probe are measured and compared to a simple theoretical model. We fit our results to extract an effective temperature and number density associated with the silver in the lamp and confirm that the spectra are dominated by Doppler broadening. We consider the broadening effect of collisions between silver and the neon buffer gas in the lamp, and establish that these effects are small but modify the optimum effective parameters for the model. Our work results in a simple, quantitative, and predictive model for laser absorption in the lamp.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2608.27700

Related papers

Polarization spectroscopy of atomic erbium in a hollow cathode lamp

Jackson Ang’ong’a, Bryce Gadway

Abstract In this work we perform polarization spectroscopy of erbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp (HCL). We review the theory behind Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy, theoretically model the expected erbium polarization spectra, and compare the numerically calculated spectra to our experimental data. We further analyze the dependence of the measured spectra on the HCL current and the peak intensities of our pump and probe lasers to determine conditions. Applications include wavelength stabilization of diode laser radiation to the 400.91 nm erbium transition.

arXiv:1711.00825•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Dec 14, 2017•2 citations

Doppler-free spectroscopy of metastable Sr atoms using a hollow cathode lamp

Yusuke Hayakawa, Takumi Sato, Chika Watanabe +2 more

We report on the demonstration of Doppler-free spectroscopy of metastable Sr atoms using a hollow cathode lamp (HCL). We employed a custom Sr HCL, which is filled with a mixture of 0.5 Torr Ne and 0.5 Torr Xe as a buffer gas to suppress velocity changing collisions and increase the populations in all of the (5s5p)3PJ(J=0,1,2) metastable states. We performed frequency modulation spectroscopy for the (5s5p)3P0−(5s6s)3S1, (5s5p)3P1−(5s6s)3S1, (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D2, and (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D3 transitions with sufficient signal-to-noise ratios for laser frequency stabilization. We also observed the hyperfine transitions of (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D3 of Sr87. This method would greatly facilitate laser cooling of Sr.

arXiv:1712.10156•Applied Optics•Feb 15, 2018•8 citations

Modulation Transfer Spectroscopy of Ytterbium Atoms in a Hollow Cathode Lamp

Wenli Wang, Xinye Xu

We present the experimental study of modulation transfer spectroscopy of ytterbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp. The dependences of its linewidth, slope and magnitude on the various experimental parameters are measured and fitted by the well-known theoretical expressions. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. We have observed the Dicke narrowing effect by increasing the current of the hollow cathode lamp. It is also found that there are the optimal current and laser power to generate the better modulation transfer spectroscopy signal, which can be employed for locking the laser frequency to the atomic transition.

Chinese Physics Letters•Mar 1, 2011•6 citations

The effect of saturation and velocity selective population in 5S_(1/2)-5P_(3/2) laser excitation in Rb vapor

Yifan Shen

Excited state population distribution created by 5S1/2→5P3/2 laser excitation in room temperature rubidium vapor was quantitatively analyzed applying absorption and saturation spectroscopy.When the laser linewidth was much smaller than the Doppler linewidth,the absorption coefficients were measured for a series of P780 powers between 40 μW and 5mW.Population in the 5P3/2 level obtained from the saturation measurements was also determined by the absorption measurement of narrow spectral line from a Rb hollow cathode lamp.The agreement between the results obtained in these two ways is very good.It was shown that 2% of the ground state population could be transferred to the first excited state by pumping the Doppler broadened line with a single-mode narrow-band laser.

Jiguang zazhi•Jan 1, 2008•0 citations

Strong effective saturation by optical pumping in three-level systems

Jae-Ihn Kim, D. Haubrich, B. Klöter +1 more

We have studied nonlinear absorption from the In ${P}_{1/2,3/2}$ ground-state doublet in a resistively heated high-temperature cell and a hollow cathode lamp. Using probe and pump lasers at 410 and 451 nm, respectively, absorption spectra with nonlinear properties caused by saturated absorption, coherent dark resonances, and optical pumping are observed. A theoretical description in terms of a density-matrix theory agrees very well with the observed spectra and identifies optical pumping as a dominating process of broadening in the stepwise contribution rather than velocity-changing collisions. Our experiments suggest that the theory used here is widely applicable in saturation spectroscopy on three-level $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ systems.

Physical Review A•Dec 2, 2009•5 citations

Simple laser stabilization to the strontium 88Sr transition at 707 nm

Matthew A. Norcia, James K. Thompson

We describe frequency stabilization of a laser at 707 nm wavelength using FM spectroscopy in a hollow cathode lamp. The laser is stabilized to the (88)Sr metastable (3)P2 to (3)S1 optical transition. The stabilized laser is utilized for laser-cooling and trapping of strontium atoms. We also briefly describe how the same hollow cathode lamp is used to simultaneously derive a polarization spectroscopy signal for stabilizing the blue-MOT laser at 461 nm.

arXiv:1510.04329•Review of Scientific Instruments•Feb 1, 2016•10 citations
We present a quantitative study of laser absorption on the 52S1/2→52P3/25{^{2}}\mathrm{S}_{1/2} \rightarrow 5{^{2}}\mathrm{P}_{3/2}52S1/2​→52P3/2​ transition of silver in a hollow-cathode lamp. Spectra obtained using a weak probe are measured and compared to a simple theoretical model. We fit our results to extract an effective temperature and number density associated with the silver in the lamp and confirm that the spectra are dominated by Doppler broadening. We consider the broadening effect of collisions between silver and the neon buffer gas in the lamp, and establish that these effects are small but modify the optimum effective parameters for the model. Our work results in a simple, quantitative, and predictive model for laser absorption in the lamp.
Abstract In this work we perform polarization spectroscopy of erbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp (HCL). We review the theory behind Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy, theoretically model the expected erbium polarization spectra, and compare the numerically calculated spectra to our experimental data. We further analyze the dependence of the measured spectra on the HCL current and the peak intensities of our pump and probe lasers to determine conditions. Applications include wavelength stabilization of diode laser radiation to the 400.91 nm erbium transition.
We report on the demonstration of Doppler-free spectroscopy of metastable Sr atoms using a hollow cathode lamp (HCL). We employed a custom Sr HCL, which is filled with a mixture of 0.5 Torr Ne and 0.5 Torr Xe as a buffer gas to suppress velocity changing collisions and increase the populations in all of the (5s5p)3PJ(J=0,1,2) metastable states. We performed frequency modulation spectroscopy for the (5s5p)3P0−(5s6s)3S1, (5s5p)3P1−(5s6s)3S1, (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D2, and (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D3 transitions with sufficient signal-to-noise ratios for laser frequency stabilization. We also observed the hyperfine transitions of (5s5p)3P2−(5s5d)3D3 of Sr87. This method would greatly facilitate laser cooling of Sr.
We present the experimental study of modulation transfer spectroscopy of ytterbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp. The dependences of its linewidth, slope and magnitude on the various experimental parameters are measured and fitted by the well-known theoretical expressions. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. We have observed the Dicke narrowing effect by increasing the current of the hollow cathode lamp. It is also found that there are the optimal current and laser power to generate the better modulation transfer spectroscopy signal, which can be employed for locking the laser frequency to the atomic transition.
Excited state population distribution created by 5S1/2→5P3/2 laser excitation in room temperature rubidium vapor was quantitatively analyzed applying absorption and saturation spectroscopy.When the laser linewidth was much smaller than the Doppler linewidth,the absorption coefficients were measured for a series of P780 powers between 40 μW and 5mW.Population in the 5P3/2 level obtained from the saturation measurements was also determined by the absorption measurement of narrow spectral line from a Rb hollow cathode lamp.The agreement between the results obtained in these two ways is very good.It was shown that 2% of the ground state population could be transferred to the first excited state by pumping the Doppler broadened line with a single-mode narrow-band laser.
We have studied nonlinear absorption from the In P1/2,3/2{P}_{1/2,3/2}P1/2,3/2​ ground-state doublet in a resistively heated high-temperature cell and a hollow cathode lamp. Using probe and pump lasers at 410 and 451 nm, respectively, absorption spectra with nonlinear properties caused by saturated absorption, coherent dark resonances, and optical pumping are observed. A theoretical description in terms of a density-matrix theory agrees very well with the observed spectra and identifies optical pumping as a dominating process of broadening in the stepwise contribution rather than velocity-changing collisions. Our experiments suggest that the theory used here is widely applicable in saturation spectroscopy on three-level $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ systems.