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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Transients in mercury resonance fluorescence under pulsed electric fields: measurement of differential Stark shifts

Weston J. Sandle, M. C. Standage, D. M. Warrington

Published Jun 1, 1975• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A Stark effect experiment is presented, which involves the recording of transients in radiation resonantly scattered by a vapour, following the sudden application of an electric field pulse. The theory of this effect is developed from the case where a general step-function perturbation is applied. The transients have the form of damped sinusoidal oscillations: the damping is determined by the rate of radiative decay; the modulation frequencies depend directly on the energy-level splittings caused by the applied field. This technique has been to measure the magnitude and sign of the differential Stark shifts in the 6 3 P 1 level of 198 Hg and 199 Hg. These lead to a value for the tensor polarizability which is in good agreement with recent measurements. Results are presented of a calculation of the polarizabilities of the 6 3 P 1 and 6 1 S 0 levels based on experimental oscillator strengths.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/8/8/010

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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Nov 11, 1974•21 citations
A Stark effect experiment is presented, which involves the recording of transients in radiation resonantly scattered by a vapour, following the sudden application of an electric field pulse. The theory of this effect is developed from the case where a general step-function perturbation is applied. The transients have the form of damped sinusoidal oscillations: the damping is determined by the rate of radiative decay; the modulation frequencies depend directly on the energy-level splittings caused by the applied field. This technique has been to measure the magnitude and sign of the differential Stark shifts in the 6 3 P 1 level of 198 Hg and 199 Hg. These lead to a value for the tensor polarizability which is in good agreement with recent measurements. Results are presented of a calculation of the polarizabilities of the 6 3 P 1 and 6 1 S 0 levels based on experimental oscillator strengths.
A coherent optical transient technique has been used for the first time to study the Stark effect in atoms. This technique involves the recording of transients in the intensity of single-mode laser radiation transmitted by an atomic vapour following the sudden application of an electric-field pulse. It allows both absolute and differential Stark shifts to be measured to a precision which is limited only by the power-broadened natural linewidth of the transition. The feasibility of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the scalar ( alpha0) and tensor ( alpha2) polarisabilities associated with the sodium 32P1/2and 32P3/2levels of sodium. The resolution is such that the effect of the hyperfine structure on the Stark shifts has to be included in the analysis. Our values for the polarisabilities are alpha0=0+or-3.3 kHz (kV cm-1)-2and alpha2=28.1+or-3.9 KHz (kV cm-1)-2. These results are compared with experimental and theoretical values obtained by other authors.
Following (i) a sharp step or (ii) a pulse of applied magnetic field, the resonance fluorescence of an atomic vapour exposed to steady linearly polarized resonance radiation undergoes transient behaviour until a new steady state is reached; the form of the transient will be (i) modulation of the intensity with an exponential envelope, or (ii) simple exponential decay. From the modulation period the gJ value of the excited state is obtained. From the exponential decay the lifetime for the relaxation of atomic alignment is obtained directly. The technique, applied to the 63P1 state of mercury, gives 117.4+or-1.0 ns for the natural mean life.
The Stark shift of the (6s) 2 1 S 0 to (6s6p) 3 P 1 transition in ytterbium was measured using a laser to excite an atomic beam first in a uniform electric field and subsequently in 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 isotope and hyperfine splittings that have been measured previously. The Stark shift rate was found to be -15.419+or-0.048 kHz kV -2 cm -2 and the tensor polarizability of the (6s6p) 3 P 1 state was determined to be alpha 2 =5.81+or-0.13 kHz kV -2 cm -2 .
CONTENTS I. Introduction 637 II. Theory of the Stark Effect 638 1. The Stark Effect in a Constant Electric Field 638 2. The Stark Effect in Alternating Electric Fields 640 III. The Study of the Stark Effect in a Constant Electric Field 643 1. Observation of the Shifts of Centers of Gravity of Absorption Lines in Atomic Beams 643 2. Study of the Stark Effect by Observation of Electric Double Refraction 644 3. Study of the Stark Effect by the Method of Comparison with Hyperfine Splitting 646 4. Observation of the Stark Effect by Radiospectroscopic Methods 646 5. Study of the Stark Effect by the Method of Double Radiooptical Resonance 647 6. Observation of the Stark Effect by Level-crossing and Beat Methods 649 IV. The Study of the Stark Effect in Fields of Optical Frequency 651 1. Observation of Shifts and Splittings of Levels of the Ground State of Hg 199 by Resonance Light 651 2. Observation of Shifts and Splittings of Levels of Potassium Atoms in the Radiation Field of a Ruby Laser 653 V. Conclusion 654 Literature Cited 656