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Physical Review A

Lifetime measurements of rubidium nD3/2 (n=6–9) states using the Hanle effect

William Arie van Wijngaarden, J. Sagle

Published Feb 1, 1992• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A Hanle experiment has been used to determine the following radiative lifetimes (in nsec) of rubidium: ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{6\mathit{D}3/2}$=298\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{7\mathit{D}3/2}$=345\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{8\mathit{D}3/2}$=586\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{9\mathit{D}3/2}$=638\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}17. These data were taken at a temperature of 293 K and are not corrected for effects due to blackbody radiation. The effect of the hyperfine interaction on the Hanle signal is discussed in detail for an excited state of arbitrary angular momentum.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.45.1502

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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Oct 28, 1978•22 citations
A Hanle experiment has been used to determine the following radiative lifetimes (in nsec) of rubidium: \ensuremathτ6D3/2{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{6\mathit{D}3/2}\ensuremathτ6D3/2​=298\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8, \ensuremathτ7D3/2{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{7\mathit{D}3/2}\ensuremathτ7D3/2​=345\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9, \ensuremathτ8D3/2{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{8\mathit{D}3/2}\ensuremathτ8D3/2​=586\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15, and \ensuremathτ9D3/2{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{9\mathit{D}3/2}\ensuremathτ9D3/2​=638\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}17. These data were taken at a temperature of 293 K and are not corrected for effects due to blackbody radiation. The effect of the hyperfine interaction on the Hanle signal is discussed in detail for an excited state of arbitrary angular momentum.
The hyperfine structure of the second-excited DDD states of 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb, 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb, and 133Cs^{133}\mathrm{Cs}133Cs has been measured by the method of cascade-radio-frequency spectroscopy and cascade-level crossing. The sign of the magnetic-dipole coupling constant AAA is determined by the method of cascade-decoupling and cascade-radio-frequency spectroscopy with narrow-band excitation. Lifetimes $\ensuremath{\tau}$ of some of these states are measured by the cascade-Hanle effect. We find that for 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=14.43\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.23$ MHz, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}7.44\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10$ MHz, $\ensuremath{\tau}(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=205\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}40$ nsec; for 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=4.18\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20$ MHz, $A(5^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}2.12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20$ MHz; for 133Cs^{133}\mathrm{Cs}133Cs, $A(6^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=16.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15$ MHz, $A(6^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}})=\ensuremath{-}3.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0$ MHz, $\ensuremath{\tau}(6^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}})=57\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15$ nsec.
We have measured the broadening of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 level-crossing signals due to collisions with Rb85{\mathrm{Rb}}^{85}Rb85. The depolarization or broadening rates for the 52P125^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}52P21​​ state orientation, the 52P325^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}52P23​​ state orientation and alignment, and the 52P325^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}52P23​​ state 58-G crossing were measured. Theoretical resonance-broadening depolarization rates for the electronic angular momentum, due to Carrington, Stacey, and Cooper, have been incorporated into calculations of the Hanle-effect signals in the presence of nuclear-spin coupling. The experimental broadening rates are corrected for a minor amount of coherence narrowing. The measured broadening rate for the three 52P325^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}52P23​​ state level-crossing signals are in 20% agreement with the theory. The measured 52P125^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}52P21​​ state broadening rate exceeds the theoretical by about a factor of 2. This discrepancy may be due to the action of the hyperfine interaction during these unusually long duration collisions. The natural lifetimes of the 52P325^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}52P23​​ and 52P125^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}52P21​​ states are determined from the low-density linewidth to be 27.0 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5 and 29.4 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.7 nsec, respectively.
The Hanle effect on the resonance lines of the Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 atom has been observed. The line shape of the signal for the $5^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ is found to be Lorentzian, while that for the $5^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ is dispersion-type. The half-width of these lines was observed to be 3.146\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.13 G and 23.0 G\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5%, respectively. These values yield the lifetime of (2.71\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.14) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$sec and (3.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$sec for the 52P325^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}52P23​​ and 52P125^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}52P21​​ states, respectively. The oscillator strengths for the corresponding transitions are found to be 0.673\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03 and 0.32\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03, respectively. When the temperature of the scattering cell was changed from 0 to 36\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, an apparent increase of the linewidth at higher temperature was observed. This effect has been explained as a magnetic-field-dependent radiative transfer effect at optical depth of the order of the scattering cell dimensions. When the data were analyzed with such an effect included, the reduced Hanle signal showed no temperature dependence of the half-width.
An experiment is described which utilizes the Hanle technique for measurement of atomic excited-state lifetimes, with particular application to the P13 state of mercury. The components for the experiment are comparatively inexpensive or readily constructed, and the technique is one of the few which directly illustrate features of the interaction between radiation and free atoms. A simple classical description of the effect is given, followed by a more detailed quantum description, as well as constructional details of an experimental arrangement suitable for an advanced undergraduate or graduate laboratory.