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Physical Review A

Inelastic collisions between selectively excited rubidium atoms and ground-state rubidium atoms

R. H. Hill, Hans A. Schuessler, Byron George Zollars

Published Feb 1, 1982• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Inelastic-collision processes in fine-structure-changing collisions have been studied by selective stepwise excitation and observation of the resulting fluorescence. Hereby, the effect of ground-state rubidium atoms colliding with excited-state rubidium atoms was investigated. The ground-state density was changed by three orders of magnitude by performing the measurements over the temperature range of 75 to 200 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The cross section for fine-structure-changing collisions [i.e., $\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}})+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})$] is ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{fs}}=(1.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The cross sections for transfer out of the fine-structure doublet [i.e., $\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}D)+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{states}\mathrm{other}\mathrm{than}\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}D)$] is ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tr}}=(3.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. It is demonstrated that for the intermediate excited rubidium states, both the fine-structure-changing and transfer cross sections are of the order of the geometrical cross section of the excited rubidium states.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.25.834

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Inelastic-collision processes in fine-structure-changing collisions have been studied by selective stepwise excitation and observation of the resulting fluorescence. Hereby, the effect of ground-state rubidium atoms colliding with excited-state rubidium atoms was investigated. The ground-state density was changed by three orders of magnitude by performing the measurements over the temperature range of 75 to 200 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The cross section for fine-structure-changing collisions [i.e., Rb(62D52)+Rb(52S12)\ensuremath→Rb(62D32)+Rb(52S12)\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}{D}_{\frac{5}{2}})+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}{D}_{\frac{3}{2}})+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})Rb(62D25​​)+Rb(52S21​​)\ensuremath→Rb(62D23​​)+Rb(52S21​​)] is \ensuremathσfs=(1.0\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.6)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−13{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{fs}}=(1.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\ensuremathσfs​=(1.0\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.6)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−13 cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2. The cross sections for transfer out of the fine-structure doublet [i.e., Rb(62D)+Rb(52S12)\ensuremath→statesotherthanRb(62D)\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}D)+\mathrm{Rb}({5}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{states}\mathrm{other}\mathrm{than}\mathrm{Rb}({6}^{2}D)Rb(62D)+Rb(52S21​​)\ensuremath→statesotherthanRb(62D)] is \ensuremathσtr=(3.8\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.6)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−13{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tr}}=(3.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\ensuremathσtr​=(3.8\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.6)\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−13 cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2. It is demonstrated that for the intermediate excited rubidium states, both the fine-structure-changing and transfer cross sections are of the order of the geometrical cross section of the excited rubidium states.
The thermal cross sections for inelastic transfer of excited rubidium atoms from the n2D52n^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}n2D25​​ to the n2D32n^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}n2D23​​ fine-structure state caused by fine-structure-changing collisions with ground-state rubidium atoms have been measured by selective stepwise excitation of the rubidium atoms and observation of the resulting fluorescence. The cross sections (in units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2) for nnn being 5-9 are 2.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6, 6.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.4, 11.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.3, 17.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.0, and 26.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5.0, respectively. The fine-structure-changing cross sections are of the order of the geometrical cross sections and increase slightly less than (n∗)4{({n}^{*})}^{4}(n∗)4 for the low-lying n2Dn^{2}Dn2D states studied.
Inelastic collisional processes in fine-structure-state mixing have been studied by selective stepwise excitation and observation of the resulting fluorescence during collisions of excited rubidium 62D526^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}62D25​​ state atoms with various noble-gas atoms. It is shown that for intermediately excited rubidium atoms the fine-structure-state mixing cross sections are generally increasing from helium to xexon. The cross sections for the process $\mathrm{Rb}(6^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})+A(n^{1}S_{0})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Rb}(6^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})+A(n^{1}S_{0})+\ensuremath{\Delta}E$ have the values ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{fs}}^{*}=2.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9, 3.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.2, 2.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0, 5.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.2, \mathrm{and} 9.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5.6$ in units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2, where AAA denotes in sequence any one of the noble gas atoms He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, respectively. Transfer cross sections for the transfer of excited Rb62D6^{2}D62D-state atoms out of the doublet were also determined and are about an order of magnitude smaller than the fine-structure-mixing cross sections.
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.
A diode-laser fluorescence experiment was performed in order to study fine-structure transitions between 5 2 P states of rubidium atoms colliding with ground-state potassium or caesium atoms. The Rb (5 2 P 3 2/) state was optically excited and the intensity ratio of sensitized to direct fluorescence was measured. The obtained cross sections for the excitation energy transfer Rb( 2 P 3 2/) to Rb( 2 P 1 2/) induced by collisions with K and Cs (T=573 K) are sigma =54 AA 2 +or-30% and sigma =15 AA 2 +or-30%, respectively. Assuming detailed balancing, the cross sections for the reverse process Rb( 2 P 1 2/) to Rb( 2 P 3 2/) are sigma =60 AA 2 +or-30%, and sigma =16.5 AA 2 +or-30% for K and Cs, respectively.
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.
The inelastic collisional cross sections of the nD\mathrm{nD}nD states of Cs are measured by the technique of selective laser excitation and observation of collision-induced fluorescence. The cross sections (in units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2) for the fine-structure-changing collisions [i.e., $\mathrm{Cs}(n^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})+\mathrm{Cs}(6^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Cs}(n^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})+\mathrm{Cs}(6^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}})$] for nnn being 6-10 are 2.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5, 3.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7, 8.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.7, 18.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.7, and 29.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6.0, respectively. The cross sections (in ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2) for excitation transfer out of the nD\mathrm{nD}nD doublet [i.e., $\mathrm{Cs}(n^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})+\mathrm{Cs}(6^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{states}\mathrm{other}\mathrm{than} \mathrm{Cs}(\mathrm{nD})$] for nnn being 6-10 are 1.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6, 5.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5, 3.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5, 6.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.3, and 15.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.0, respectively. The fine-structure-changing cross sections are found to be nearly equal to the geometrical cross section $\ensuremath{\pi}{n}^{*4}{a}_{0}^{2}$ for all the nD\mathrm{nD}nD states studied, except 6D6D6D, whose fine-structure-changing cross section is unusually large.