The Stark shift of the (6s
)2 1S0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}(6s6p
)1P1 transition in barium was measured using a laser to excite an atomic beam as it traversed a uniform electric field and a field-free region. The laser frequency was scanned across the transition while fluorescence produced by the radiative decay of the excited state was detected. The frequency scan was calibrated using an acousto-optic modulator which frequency shifted the laser by a specified amount. The Stark-shift rate was found to be -28.532\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.060 kHz/(kV/cm
)2. The hyperfine splitting of the
135,137Ba F=1/2 level relative to
138Ba of the (6s6p
)1P1 state was determined to be -549.47\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12 MHz, where the minus sign indicates that the
138Ba transition is at a lower frequency.
The Stark shift of the (4s
)21S0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}(4s4p)
3P1 transition in calcium was measured using a laser to excite an atomic beam as it traversed through a uniform electric field and a field-free region. The laser frequency was scanned across the transition, while fluorescence produced by the radiative decay of the excited state was detected. The frequency scan was calibrated using an acousto-optic modulator to frequency shift part of the laser beam. The Stark shift rate was found to be -12.314\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.041 kHz/(kV/cm
)2, where the minus sign indicates the transition frequency decreases when the electric field is applied. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
The Stark effect of the 5 s 2 S 1/2 –5 p 2 P 3/2 transition ( D 2 line) of Rb has been studied by high-resolution atomic-beam laser spectroscopy. The splittings of magnetic sublevels of 5 p 2 P 3/2 have been resolved, and the Stark shifts and splittings of the D 2 line have been measured at various electric fields. The scalar polarizability of the D 2 line and the tensor polarizability of the 5 p 2 P 3/2 level have been determined to be α s (5 p 2 P 3/2 ) - α s (5 s 2 S 1/2 ) = 136.95(89) kHz/(kV/cm) 2 and α t (5 p 2 P 3/2 ) = -40.91(38) kHz/(kV/cm) 2 , respectively, by considering the mixing between hyperfine structure levels of 5 p 2 P 3/2 . The precision of α t (5 p 2 P 3/2 ) has been improved by a factor of 2 compared with the previously reported values.
A measurement of the Stark-induced amplitudes \ensuremath{\alpha} and \ensuremath{\beta} for the 6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
P1/2 transition in atomic thallium is reported. Absorption of cw laser light tuned to this transition at 293 nm was compared to absorption of 378-nm cw laser light tuned to the allowed 6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
S1/2 transition. The absorption sample was an intense atomic beam in the presence of a strong electric field. The measured values are \ensuremath{\alpha}=2.01(4)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5}$ ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$/ (V/cm) and \ensuremath{\beta}=1.67(4)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$/ (V/cm), where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$ is the Bohr magneton. These results are in agreement with semiempirical theory, but disagree with previous measurements of these amplitudes in this laboratory. A critical analysis of the previous measurement is given to explain the discrepancy. The newly measured value of \ensuremath{\beta} makes it necessary to reinterpret previous measurements of parity nonconservation in the 6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
P1/2 transition. In the course of the present experiment, Stark shifts of the 6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
P1/2 and 6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
S1/2 transitions were also measured: \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}(6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
S1/2)=-112(6) kHz/(kV/cm
)2 and \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}(6
P1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7
P1/2)=-618(31) kHz/(kV/cm
)2. These results are also in good agrement with semiempirical theory.
We report the direct excitation of the highly forbidden (6s2) 1S0 <--> (6s6p) 3P0 optical transition in two odd isotopes of neutral ytterbium. As the excitation laser frequency is scanned, absorption is detected by monitoring the depletion from an atomic cloud at approximately 70 microK in a magneto-optical trap. The measured frequency in 171Yb (F=1/2) is 518,295,836,591.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. The measured frequency in 173Yb (F=5/2) is 518,294,576,847.6 +/- 4.4 kHz. Measurements are made with a femtosecond-laser frequency comb calibrated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology cesium fountain clock and represent nearly a 10(6)-fold reduction in uncertainty. The natural linewidth of these J=0 to J=0 transitions is calculated to be approximately 10 mHz, making them well suited to support a new generation of optical atomic clocks based on confinement in an optical lattice.