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Flow Turbulence and Combustion

Theory of absorption and dispersion of light in an atomic vapour near a solid interface

Martin F. H. Schuurmans

Published Jan 1, 1981• 1 citation
Publisher
DOI
10.1007/bf00382625

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A detailed theory of the frequency dependence of the electro-optical Kerr effect of an atom in the region of absorption lines is presented and applied to the particular case of 2 P←2 S doublets of sodium and lithium vapours. Doppler broadening is taken into account. With electric dipole matrix elements derived from the Coulomb approximation for both discrete and continuum states, the molar Kerr constant, m K(32 P←32 S), of atomic sodium vapour in the D-line absorption region is calculated to ±30 per cent; the calculations indicate that m K in the vicinity of the D2 line (32 P 3/2←32 S 1/2) should be very much greater than near the D1 line (32 P 1/2←32 S 1/2) in qualitative agreement with the experiments of Kopfermann and Ladenburg Qualitative consideration is also given to dispersion of magnetic birefringence; in contrast with electric birefringence strong dispersion is expected near both lines of alkali metal 2 P←2 S doublets.

Molecular Physics•Jan 1, 1967•24 citations
Fluorescence spectra of atomic vapours may contain sub-Doppler structure due to the transient behaviour of the light-induced polarization of atoms which have just collided at the wall of the cell containing the vapour. This structure arises in spectra measured in reflection and in emission produced by atoms within a wavelength distance from the entrance window of the cell. Excitation spectra of transmitted light and laterally scattered light are not affected by the atom–wall collisions. Absorption and dispersion of light in an atomic vapour is conventionally described by a complex-valued and frequency-dependent index of refraction. In the presence of atom–wall collisions this theoretical description fails. This report gives an account of how the theory may be modified to include atom–wall collisions; it is assumed that the induced polarization of an atom is lost in such collisions. The modified theory qualitatively describes the experimental results. We review the conventional theory, the modified theory and the experiments featuring sub-Doppler structure related to the transient polarization behaviour.
A detailed theory of the frequency dependence of the electro-optical Kerr effect of an atom in the region of absorption lines is presented and applied to the particular case of 2 P←2 S doublets of sodium and lithium vapours. Doppler broadening is taken into account. With electric dipole matrix elements derived from the Coulomb approximation for both discrete and continuum states, the molar Kerr constant, m K(32 P←32 S), of atomic sodium vapour in the D-line absorption region is calculated to ±30 per cent; the calculations indicate that m K in the vicinity of the D2 line (32 P 3/2←32 S 1/2) should be very much greater than near the D1 line (32 P 1/2←32 S 1/2) in qualitative agreement with the experiments of Kopfermann and Ladenburg Qualitative consideration is also given to dispersion of magnetic birefringence; in contrast with electric birefringence strong dispersion is expected near both lines of alkali metal 2 P←2 S doublets.