We use two-photon resonant excitation and time-correlated single-photon counting techniques on a sample of 210Fr atoms confined and cooled in a magneto-optical trap to measure the lifetime of the 9s excited level. Direct measurement of the decay through the 7P(3/2) level at 851 nm yields a lifetime of 107.53 +/- 0.80 ns.
We use time-correlated single-photon counting techniques on a sample of 210Fr atoms confined and cooled in a magneto-optical trap to measure the lifetimes of the 9S1∕2,8P3∕2, and 8P1∕2 excited levels. We populate the 9S1∕2 level by two-photon resonant excitation through the 7P1∕2 level. The direct measurement of the 9S1∕2 decay through the 7P3∕2 level at 851 nm gives a lifetime of $107.53\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.90\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$. We observe the decay of the 9S1∕2 level through the 8P3∕2 level at 423 nm and the 8P1∕2 level at 433 nm down to the 7S1∕2 ground level, and indirectly determine the lifetimes of these to be $83.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$ and $149.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$, respectively.
We present lifetime measurements of the 7D3/2 and 7D5/2 levels of Fr. We use a time-correlated single-photon counting technique on a sample of 210Fr atoms confined and cooled in a magneto-optical trap. The upper state of the 7P3/2 trapping transition serves as the resonant intermediate level for two-photon excitation of the 7D states. A probe laser provides the second step of the excitation, and we detect the decay of the atomic fluorescence. Our measurements help extend the knowledge of this class of atomic wave functions in which correlation effects are very significant. We measure lifetimes of $73.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 \mathrm{ns}$ and $67.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.9 \mathrm{ns}$ for the 7D3/2 and 7D5/2 levels, respectively.
We present lifetime measurements of the 7p2P3/2 and 7p2P1/2 levels of Fr. We use a time-correlated single-photon counting technique on a cold sample of 210Fr atoms in a magneto-optic trap. We excite the atoms with the trapping and repumping beams of the magneto-optic trap and detect the decay of the atomic fluorescence. The results are a precision experimental test of the atomic many-body perturbation theory applied to the heaviest alkali metal. The lifetime results are 21.02(11) ns and 29.45(11) ns for the 7p2P3/2 and 7p2P1/2 levels, respectively. This gives a line strength ratio S1/2/S3/2 of 0.526(3) for these levels in Fr. To study sources of systematic errors we measure the lifetimes of 5p2P3/2 and 5p2P1/2 in stable 87Rb and obtain 26.20(9) ns and 27.64(4) ns, respectively.
We measure the lifetime of the 8s level of 210Fr atoms on a magneto-optically trapped sample with time-correlated single-photon counting. The 7P1∕2 state serves as the resonant intermediate level for two-step excitation of the 8s level completed with a $1.3\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ laser. Analysis of the fluorescence decay through the 7P3∕2 level gives $53.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.44\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$ for the 8s level lifetime.
We present the first measurement of an atomic radiative lifetime in Fr. We use a time-correlated single photon counting technique with a cold sample of 210Fr atoms in a magneto-optic trap. The results are a precision experimental test of the atomic many-body perturbation theory applied to the heaviest alkali. The lifetime for the 7p2P3/2 level of 21.02(16) ns gives a value for the reduced transition matrix element between the levels $7s{}^{2}{S}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7p{}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ of $5.898(22){a}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}$ atomic units.