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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Doppler-free two-photon and saturation spectroscopy with a thermionic detector

Kay Niemax, K. H. Weber

Published Apr 28, 1978• 15 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It is shown that a thermionic detector can be applied with success not only in Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy but also in saturation spectroscopy. Without changing the experimental set-up, the fine-structure splittings of some Cs n 2 D 5/2,3/2 levels (18<or=n<or=23) are determined by two-photon spectra (6 2 S 1/2 - n 2 D 5/2,3/2 ) and parts of the saturation spectrum of the 6250 AA band of Cs 2 are recorded simultaneously.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/11/8/003

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It is shown that a thermionic detector can be applied with success not only in Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy but also in saturation spectroscopy. Without changing the experimental set-up, the fine-structure splittings of some Cs n 2 D 5/2,3/2 levels (18<or=n<or=23) are determined by two-photon spectra (6 2 S 1/2 - n 2 D 5/2,3/2 ) and parts of the saturation spectrum of the 6250 AA band of Cs 2 are recorded simultaneously.
Absorption ratios of doublets arising from n(2)D(5/2,3/2)? n'(2)S transitions in Rb (n = 5-9, n' = 5) and Cs (n = 7-13, n' = 6) were measured by Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy using a thermionic ion detector. The observed ratios agree with calculated values for transitions to the higher levels but differ significantly for levels n = 5 in Rb and n =7, 8 in Cs. These experiments also provide new lower bounds for the ionization potentials of Rb(2) (3.62 eV) and Cs(2) (3.682 eV).
We have demonstrated the feasibility of Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy with a train of picosecond standing-wave light pulses from a synchronously pumped mode-locked cw dye laser. The actively controlled mode spectrum provides a means for accurate measurements of large frequency intervals. From a multipulse spectrum of the sodium $3s\ensuremath{-}4d$ transition we have determined a new value of the 4d4d4d fine-structure splitting, 1028\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 MHz.
The fine-structure splitting of the 4F4F4F state of atomic sodium is determined using the technique of two-photon spectroscopy with a resonant intermediate state. The sensitivity of this Doppler-free technique allows observation of the electric-dipole-forbidden $3S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4F$ two-photon transition. The 4F4F4F fine-structure splitting is found to be 229\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4 MHz. Its sign and magnitude are hydrogenic, in complete contrast to the DDD levels of Na.
Doppler-free two-photon transitions to Rydberg states in alkali metals have been recommended as a potential source of reference lines or secondary standards for wavelength calibration, because they cover a wide range of the visible spectrum.1 Observation of spectral lines for the two-photon transitions was made possible by use of a thermionic diode detector cell similar to that originally designed by Harvey.2 The Pyrex cell enclosing the diode detector and containing natural Rb was placed in a two-chamber oven so that the temperature of the cell body and that of the sidearm Rb supply could be controlled independently.
In this paper, we describe two complementary nonlinear spectroscopy methods which both allow one to achieve Doppler-free spectra of atomic gases. First, saturated absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the structure of the 5S 1/2 → 5P 3/2 transition in rubidium. Using a slightly modified experimental setup, Doppler-free two-photon absorption spectroscopy is then performed on the 5S 1/2 → 5D 5/2 transition in rubidium, leading to accurate measurements of the hyperfine structure of the 5D 5/2 energy level. In addition, electric dipole selection rules of the two-photon transition are investigated, first by modifying the polarization of the excitation laser, and then by measuring two-photon absorption spectra when a magnetic field is applied close to the rubidium vapour. All experiments are performed with the same grating-feedback laser diode, providing an opportunity to compare different high-resolution spectroscopy methods using a single experimental setup. Such experiments may acquaint students with quantum mechanics selection rules, atomic spectra and Zeeman effect.
Two-photon, Doppler-free spectroscopy with counter-propagating beams from a cw dye laser and a new type of thermionic detector have been used to study the 2D32^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}2D23​​ and 2D52^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}2D25​​ levels of Rb for Rydberg states up to n=85n=85n=85, only 16 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ from the ionization limit. It is shown that the fine-structure spacing varies as ${{n}_{\mathrm{eff}}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for $n>\ensuremath{\sim}25$, and as a linear combination of ${{n}_{\mathrm{eff}}}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ and ${{n}_{\mathrm{eff}}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for $n<\ensuremath{\sim}25$.