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IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics

Resonant three-photon ionization of potassium with circularly and linearly polarized light

Pierre Agostini, P. Bensoussan

Published Sep 1, 1974• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report observations of the ionization of atomic potassium by simultaneous absorption of three dye laser quanta. The laser wavelength is tuned through the two‐photon resonances with the 6S1/2 and 4D3/2,5/2 states, and the dependence of the ionization probability on the laser wavelength is investigated for linearly and circularly polarized light. Our results are in agreement with the selection rules and theoretical estimates of the ionization probability.

DOI
10.1109/jqe.1974.1068287

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Physical Review Letters•Mar 6, 1972•84 citations
We report observations of the ionization of atomic potassium by simultaneous absorption of three dye laser quanta. The laser wavelength is tuned through the two‐photon resonances with the 6S1/2 and 4D3/2,5/2 states, and the dependence of the ionization probability on the laser wavelength is investigated for linearly and circularly polarized light. Our results are in agreement with the selection rules and theoretical estimates of the ionization probability.
The intensity and polarization dependence of the ion production due to three quantum ionization was investigated in potassium. The energy of two of the photons was tuned into resonance with n 2 D levels for 4 < n < 22. The ratio of the ion signals produced with circular polarization to that found with linear polarization was significantly less than that predicted by a single rate approximation. The discrepancy is explained by the increased linewidth of the resonant 2 D level due to the ionization process itself. Single quantum photoionization cross sections for the excited levels calculated by means of quantum defect theory are shown to be consistent with the experimental results.
Two investigations are reported on the application of resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (RMPI) to gaseous mixtures of an atomic vapor and a few Torr of argon. Photon fluxes large enough to ionize atoms by RMPI were produced by focussing down the light from a tunable pulsed dye laser. The irradiances generated were of the order of 500MWcm⁻². Ionization was detected by a voltage biased wire electrode that simply collected the photoelectrons either directly or after some gas multiplication. One investigation was the measurement of the dependence of RMPI processes in mercury on the polarization of the incident light for comparisons with theoretical calculations. The processes were four-photon resonant absorptions to either a ¹S₀ or ¹’³D₂ level followed by single photon ionization. Complete photoionization of all atoms excited to the resonant levels is established and the measured polarization dependences are found to agree with the calculated polarization dependence for the resonant excitation step of the RMPI process. Unexplained observations of the distortions in the polarization dependence of the ion yield and the absorption linewidth of the 6d ¹D₂ resonance are discussed. The second investigation was a study of the density dependent electric dipole forbidden two-photon resonant transition ²S → ²P in three-photon RMPI spectra of the Rydberg states of potassium. Stark interactions are shown to be unlikely and too weak. From the characteristics of the spectra, the excitation process is identified as a laser-assisted collision interaction.