Physical Review Letters

Fine Structure of the nD2 Series in Rubidium near the Ionization Limit

Kenneth C. Harvey, Boris Peter Stoicheff

Published Mar 7, 1977• 107 citations

Abstract

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 $^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}$ and $^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}$ levels of Rb for Rydberg states up to $n=85$, 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 $n<\ensuremath{\sim}25$.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.38.537

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Two-photon absorption to highly excited D states of Rb atoms*

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Highly excited D states (n = 11 to 32) of Rb atoms were studied by Doppler-free two-photon absorption spectroscopy using a cw dye laser. These D doublets are not inverted, and their spacings do not vary as neff-3, nor as n−3; the 85Rb, 87Rb isotope shift in the ground state is found to be 160 ± 12 MHz.

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Physical Review Letters

Fine Structure of the nD2 Series in Rubidium near the Ionization Limit

Kenneth C. Harvey, Boris Peter Stoicheff

Published Mar 7, 1977• 107 citations

Publisher

Abstract

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

^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}

and

^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}

levels of Rb for Rydberg states up to

n=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

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.38.537

Related papers

Two-photon absorption spectroscopy of highly-excited states of Rb atoms

Y. Kato

Doppler-free two-photon absorption spectroscopy was applied to study highly-excited D states of Rb atoms. Using a cw dye laser as an excitation source, transitions from the ground 5S state to nd 2D states (n=11-32) were observed, the ionization energy of the highest state being only 117cm-1. These D doublets are not inverted. The fine structure splittings of these states do not vary as (neff) -3, nor as n-3. The isotope shift of the 85Rb, 87Rb ground states is found to be 160±12MHz. No pressure broadening was observed for these transitions within the instrumental resolution of 15 MHz.Doppler-free two-photon absorption spectroscopy was applied to study highly-excited D states of Rb atoms. Using a cw dye laser as an excitation source, transitions from the ground 5S state to nd 2D states (n=11-32) were observed, the ionization energy of the highest state being only 117cm-1. These D doublets are not inverted. The fine structure splittings of these states do not vary as (neff) -3, nor as n-3. The isotope shift of the 85Rb, 87Rb ground states is found to be 160±12MHz. No pressure broadening was observed for these transitions within the instrumental resolution of 15 MHz.

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C. B. Collins, Stephen M. Curry, B. W. Johnson +5 more

The multiphoton excitation of rubidium has been investigated over the 4600-6500-\AA{} wavelength region with a tunable dye-laser source having a linewidth better than 0.1 \AA{} and a space-charge ionization detector sensitive to a few ions per second. Multiphoton transitions have been observed to occur both through intermediate atomic states and through intermediate continuum states of the rubidium molecule. In the former case two-photon transitions have been observed from the $5^{2}S$ ground state of atomic rubidium to higher-lying $n^{2}D$ levels for values of $n$ ranging from 9 to 34 and to $n^{2}S$ levels for values of $n$ from 11 through 20. The fine-structure intervals of the $n^{2}D$ levels for $n=9 \mathrm{to}c 13$ were measured together with the line-strength ratios and were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of a simple theoretical model. At the shorter wavelengths hybrid two-photon resonances were observed to be excited through resonant intermediate continuum states of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ . As a result the dispersion curve for two-photon absorption in rubidium showed what appears to be resonant intermediate $p\ensuremath{\pi}(^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u1})$ and ${0}_{g}^{+}$ terms dissociating to give a $5{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ atom and resulting in the strong development of features corresponding to the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2},\frac{5}{2}}$ part of the diffuse series, for $n\ensuremath{\le}50$ in absorption and the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ part of the sharp series. Components to $32^{2}D$ and $30^{2}S$ were recorded to a precision of 0.3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and quantum defects for these previously unobserved terms were derived. The corresponding hybrid two-photon resonances involving intermediate states dissociating to give a $5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ atom were not observed in the wavelength interval available in this experiment.The multiphoton excitation of rubidium has been investigated over the 4600-6500-\AA{} wavelength region with a tunable dye-laser source having a linewidth better than 0.1 \AA{} and a space-charge ionization detector sensitive to a few ions per second. Multiphoton transitions have been observed to occur both through intermediate atomic states and through intermediate continuum states of the rubidium molecule. In the former case two-photon transitions have been observed from the $5^{2}S$ ground state of atomic rubidium to higher-lying $n^{2}D$ levels for values of $n$ ranging from 9 to 34 and to $n^{2}S$ levels for values of $n$ from 11 through 20. The fine-structure intervals of the $n^{2}D$ levels for $n=9 \mathrm{to}c 13$ were measured together with the line-strength ratios and were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of a simple theoretical model. At the shorter wavelengths hybrid two-photon resonances were observed to be excited through resonant intermediate continuum states of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$. As a result the dispersion curve for two-photon absorption in rubidium showed what appears to be resonant intermediate $p\ensuremath{\pi}(^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u1})$ and ${0}_{g}^{+}$ terms dissociating to give a $5{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ atom and resulting in the strong development of features corresponding to the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2},\frac{5}{2}}$ part of the diffuse series, for $n\ensuremath{\le}50$ in absorption and the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ part of the sharp series. Components to $32^{2}D$ and $30^{2}S$ were recorded to a precision of 0.3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and quantum defects for these previously unobserved terms were derived. The corresponding hybrid two-photon resonances involving intermediate states dissociating to give a $5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ atom were not observed in the wavelength interval available in this experiment.

Physical Review ANov 1, 197649 citations

Fine-structure measurements in the 6F2 and 7F2 states of rubidium by radio-frequency spectroscopy

John W. Farley, R. Gupta

We have used radio-frequency spectroscopy in conjunction with a multistep optical excitation scheme involving a cw dye laser to measure the fine-structure intervals in the $6^{2}F$ and $7^{2}F$ states of Rb. We find that the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}w$ (in MHz) are $\ensuremath{\delta}w(6^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}486(4)$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}w(7^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}347.6(10)$.We have used radio-frequency spectroscopy in conjunction with a multistep optical excitation scheme involving a cw dye laser to measure the fine-structure intervals in the $6^{2}F$ and $7^{2}F$ states of Rb. We find that the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}w$ (in MHz) are $\ensuremath{\delta}w(6^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}486(4)$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}w(7^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}347.6(10)$.

Physical Review AMay 1, 197725 citations

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

^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}

and

^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}

levels of Rb for Rydberg states up to

n=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

5^{2}S

ground state of atomic rubidium to higher-lying

n^{2}D

levels for values of

n

ranging from 9 to 34 and to

n^{2}S

levels for values of

n

from 11 through 20. The fine-structure intervals of the

n^{2}D

levels for

n=9 \mathrm{to}c 13

were measured together with the line-strength ratios and were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of a simple theoretical model. At the shorter wavelengths hybrid two-photon resonances were observed to be excited through resonant intermediate continuum states of

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}

. As a result the dispersion curve for two-photon absorption in rubidium showed what appears to be resonant intermediate $p\ensuremath{\pi}(^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u1})$ and

{0}_{g}^{+}

terms dissociating to give a

5{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}

atom and resulting in the strong development of features corresponding to the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2},\frac{5}{2}}$ part of the diffuse series, for $n\ensuremath{\le}50$ in absorption and the $5^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ part of the sharp series. Components to

32^{2}D

and

30^{2}S

were recorded to a precision of 0.3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and quantum defects for these previously unobserved terms were derived. The corresponding hybrid two-photon resonances involving intermediate states dissociating to give a

5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}

atom were not observed in the wavelength interval available in this experiment.

We have used radio-frequency spectroscopy in conjunction with a multistep optical excitation scheme involving a cw dye laser to measure the fine-structure intervals in the

6^{2}F

and

7^{2}F

states of Rb. We find that the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}w$ (in MHz) are $\ensuremath{\delta}w(6^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}486(4)$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}w(7^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}347.6(10)$.