The cross sections for excitation transfer between the 62P fine-structure substates in rubidium, induced in collisions with noble gas atoms, have been determined in a series of sensitized fluorescence experiments. Mixtures of rubidium vapor and noble gases at pressures varying in the range 0–5 Torr were irradiated with each component of the second 2P rubidium doublet in turn and the following cross sections for 2P mixing were obtained from measurements of sensitised-to-resonance fluorescent intensity ratios. Rb–He: Q12(2P1/2 → 2P3/2) = 29.3 Å2; Q21(2P1/2 ← 2P3/2) = 19.0 Å2. Rb–Ne: Q12 = 10.3 Å2; Q21 = 6.4 Å2. Rb–Ar: Q12 = 24.0 Å2; Q21 = 14.9 Å2. Rb–Kr: Q12 = 23.2 Å2; Q21 = 14.6 Å2. Rb–Xe: Q12 = 43.9 Å2; Q21 = 27.7 Å2 In their dependence on the magnitude of the fine-structure splitting, the values are consistent with previously determined cross sections for mixing in the first and third 2P doublets of alkali atoms.
Cross sections for the transfer of excitation between fine-structure sublevels of the 9D state of caesium due to collisions with noble-gas atoms are measured. The experimental method employs stepwise excitation with a pulsed dye laser in the second step (6 2 P 3/2 to 9 2 D 5/2 ) and time-resolved detection of sensitised fluorescence 9 2 D 3/2 to 6 2 P 1/2 . The cross sections for the process Cs(9 2 D 3/2 )+A to Cs(9 2 D 5/2 )+A are (in units of 10 -14 cm 2 ) 7.6(1.5), 2.5(5), 2.7(5), 3.0(6) and 3.2(6) for A=He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe, respectively. For all the noble gases except helium the experimental cross sections are a few times smaller than the ones obtained in a recent semiclassical calculation.
The method of sensitized fluorescence has been employed to investigate the [Formula: see text] excitation transfer processes in cesium induced in collisions with ground state cesium atoms. The cesium vapor density was kept sufficiently low to enable the cross sections for the mixing process to be determined under single collision conditions and to ensure that radiation trapping and quenching were negligible. A nitrogen laser pumped dye laser was used to excite the cesium atoms to each of the 72P levels in turn and measurements of the relative intensities of fluorescence yielded the following cross sections: [Formula: see text] These results are consistent with the empirical relationship between the magnitude of the cross sections and the fine structure splitting that has previously been determined for the alkalis.
The cross sections for excitation transfer between the 62P fine structure levels of rubidium, induced in collisions with ground state rubidium atoms, have been measured using a nitrogen laser pumped dye laser as the optical excitation source in a fluorescence experiment. Rubidium vapor was irradiated with each component of the 2P rubidium doublet in turn, and measurements of the relative intensities of fluorescence yielded the following cross sections: [Formula: see text] These results are consistent with the empirical relationship between the magnitude of the cross sections and the fine structure splitting that has previously been established for the alkalis.
Cross sections for inelastic transfer between the 82D3/2 and 82D5/2 fine-structure states in rubidium, induced in resonant collisions with ground-state Rb atoms, have been determined using an experimental method involving two-photon excitation of atomic fluorescence. Rubidium vapor in a fluorescence cell was irradiated with pulses of 641 nm radiation from a N2 laser-pumped dye-laser tuned to excite one of the 82D states. The resulting fluorescence included the direct component originating from the optically excited state and a sensitized component arising from the other fine-structure state populated by collisions. Relative intensities of the fluorescent components, determined by photon-counting techniques, yielded the cross sections for excitation transfer: Q(2D3/2 → 2D5/2) = 8.1 × 10−13 cm2; Q(2D3/2 ← 2D5/2) = 5.5 × 1013 cm2; as well as [Formula: see text], the effective quenching cross section. The excitation transfer cross sections which are considered accurate to within ±20% are in the ratio predicted by the principle of detailed balancing.
Cross sections for
72D and
82D fine-structure mixing in Rb, induced by collisions with various ground-state atoms and
N2 molecules, have been determined using methods of atomic fluorescence. Rb vapor, pure or mixed with a buffer gas, was irradiated in a glass fluorescence cell with pulses of radiation from a
N2 laser-pumped dye laser, populating a
2D fine-structure state by two-photon absorption. The resulting fluorescence included a direct component arising from the optically excited state and a sensitized component due to the collisionally populated fine-structure state. Measurements of relative intensities of the two components in relation to buffer-gas pressure yielded the following cross sections (in units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$
cm2): $Q({7}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{7}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})=14.1,15.5,\mathrm{and}10.0$; $Q({7}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\leftarrow}{7}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})=9.0,10.5,\mathrm{and}6.9$, for Kr, Xe, and
N2, respectively; $Q({8}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{8}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})=8.9,4.9,12.4,24.9,25.8,12.1,\mathrm{and}43.1$; $Q({8}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\leftarrow}{8}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})=5.8,3.2,9.4,15.1,17.6,8.3,\mathrm{and}28.5$, for He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe,
N2, and Rb, respectively. Cross sections for the effective depopulation of the
2D states were also determined.