Hyperfine structure and lifetime measurements of the second-excited D states of rubidium and cesium by cascade fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract

The hyperfine structure of the second-excited $D$ states of $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$, $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$, and $^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ has been measured by the method of cascade-radio-frequency spectroscopy and cascade-level crossing. The sign of the magnetic-dipole coupling constant $A$ is determined by the method of cascade-decoupling and cascade-radio-frequency spectroscopy with narrow-band excitation. Lifetimes $\ensuremath{\tau}$ of some of these states are measured by the cascade-Hanle effect. We find that for $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=14.43\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.23$ MHz, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}7.44\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10$ MHz, $\ensuremath{\tau}(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=205\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}40$ nsec; for $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=4.18\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20$ MHz, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}2.12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20$ MHz; for $^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$, $A(6^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=16.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15$ MHz, $A(6^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}3.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0$ MHz, $\ensuremath{\tau}(6^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=57\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15$ nsec.