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Physical Review A

Total cross sections for electrons scattered by 32 P3/2 sodium atoms

Bernardo Jaduszliwer, GF Shen, J.-L. Cai, Benjamin B. Bederson

Published Feb 1, 1985• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An electron and photon atomic-recoil technique has been used to measure absolute total cross sections for electrons scattered by ${3}^{2}$${P}_{3/2}$ sodium atoms in the 6--25-eV energy range, with the use of a new, high-resolution crossed-beam apparatus. A single-mode tunable ring dye laser is used to selectively excite the F=3 hyperfine level. Excited-state populations are determined by using the atomic recoil in resonant photon absorption. At 6 eV there is very good agreement with a previous measurement [B. Jaduszliwer, R. Dang, P. Weiss, and B. Bederson, Phys. Rev. A 21, 808 (1980)].

DOI
10.1103/physreva.31.1157

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Optically trapped atoms are in many ways ideal replacements for atomic beams for scattering experiments. In a typical such experiment, a particle beam ejects atoms from the trap at a rate {Gamma} = {sigma}{phi}, where {phi} is the particle flux density and {sigma} the scattering cross section. {Gamma} is easily measured from trap decay transients. Since the trapped atoms have neV kinetic energies, the method is sensitive to extremely small momentum transfers. Since the beam flux is measured, the absolute target density is not required, removing an important source of error for most atomic beam experiments. At Wisconsin the authors have integrated an electron beam with a magneto-optical trap and performed electron-scattering experiments on Rb atoms in the range of 10-1000 eV. In the first experiment they measured total cross sections for scattering from the 5s state by lowering the capture velocity of the trap below the recoil velocity of the scattered atoms. In the second experiment they isolated the total ionization cross section by operating the trap such that virtually all elastically and inelastically scattered atoms were captured by the trap. These experimental results will test new theoretical methods for calculating total and ionization cross sections. Straightforward extensions ofmore » these methods should allow similar measurements using excited-state atoms (5p, 5d) as well. The techniques should also be readily adaptable to the important case of the metastable noble gases.« less

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•May 1, 1996•0 citations
An electron and photon atomic-recoil technique has been used to measure absolute total cross sections for electrons scattered by {3}^{2}$${P}_{3/2} sodium atoms in the 6--25-eV energy range, with the use of a new, high-resolution crossed-beam apparatus. A single-mode tunable ring dye laser is used to selectively excite the F=3 hyperfine level. Excited-state populations are determined by using the atomic recoil in resonant photon absorption. At 6 eV there is very good agreement with a previous measurement [B. Jaduszliwer, R. Dang, P. Weiss, and B. Bederson, Phys. Rev. A 21, 808 (1980)].
A new method for measuring cross sections for the scattering of electrons by laser-excited atoms is described. It is a generalization of the atomic-beam recoil technique, taking advantage of the recoil of atoms during resonant photon interactions to spatially separate excited from nonexcited atoms. A preliminary value for the total cross section for the scattering of electrons by the 32P32(mF=3)3^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}({m}_{F}=3)32P23​​(mF​=3) state of sodium at 4.4 eV is presented.
Collisions studies using optically state selected beams is discussed. Measurements of spin resolved differential cross sections for superelastic scattering of electrons from excited sodium atoms (3P) are reported. The excited states are prepared by laser optical pumping with circularly polarized light thus giving a pure atomic state before the collision. A crossed beam arrangement of sodium atoms and electrons is used with a scattered electron detector. Scattered electron intensity as a function of scattering angle, incident electron energy, and relative orientation of the incident electronic and atomic spins is measured. 8 refs., 10 figs.
This talk will review electron-atom scattering experiments using recoil techniques, wherein observation of the collision process is made on the recoil-scattered atom rather than on the electron. Using this technique it is possible to obtain absolute cross sections without normalization or knowledge of the atom density in the interaction region; atomic state selection and analysis is also more readily performed. Comparisons with theory and with other crossed beam experiments, including those using polarized electrons, will be made. Details of ongoing experiments are presented in companion papers at this conference. A discussion of how laser cooling, and velocity and spatial compression can be employed to improve dramatically spatial and energy resolution and sensitivity will be presented.
Electron scattering by excited sodium atoms has been carried out in a crossed-beam experiment. The atoms have been optically pumped into a well defined hyperfine level (3 2 P 3 2/F=3) by a tunable CW dye laser. For two of the most prominent scattering processes, the 3 2 P to 3 2 S and 3 2 P to 4 2 S transitions, the effect of the anisotropy of the initial state introduced by the laser light is studied in detail and is interpreted in terms of multipole moments describing the optical excitation and the collision process. Possibilities and limitations of the experiment are discussed. Electron collisions may be seen as a test case for the understanding of more involved interaction processes.
Optically trapped atoms are in many ways ideal replacements for atomic beams for scattering experiments. In a typical such experiment, a particle beam ejects atoms from the trap at a rate {Gamma} = {sigma}{phi}, where {phi} is the particle flux density and {sigma} the scattering cross section. {Gamma} is easily measured from trap decay transients. Since the trapped atoms have neV kinetic energies, the method is sensitive to extremely small momentum transfers. Since the beam flux is measured, the absolute target density is not required, removing an important source of error for most atomic beam experiments. At Wisconsin the authors have integrated an electron beam with a magneto-optical trap and performed electron-scattering experiments on Rb atoms in the range of 10-1000 eV. In the first experiment they measured total cross sections for scattering from the 5s state by lowering the capture velocity of the trap below the recoil velocity of the scattered atoms. In the second experiment they isolated the total ionization cross section by operating the trap such that virtually all elastically and inelastically scattered atoms were captured by the trap. These experimental results will test new theoretical methods for calculating total and ionization cross sections. Straightforward extensions ofmore » these methods should allow similar measurements using excited-state atoms (5p, 5d) as well. The techniques should also be readily adaptable to the important case of the metastable noble gases.« less