Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Collisional perturbation of caesium Rydberg states

Leslie Pendrill

Published Sep 11, 1977• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Measurements of the time-resolved fluorescence from some highly excited states of 133Cs atoms (n2D3/2, n2D5/2 and n2S1/2(n-4)2F; n=9 to 15) have shown multi-exponential behaviour which depends on vapour pressure. This behaviour is the result of mixing of population caused by collisions between the excited and ground-state atoms. The variation of the exponential rate constants with vapour density yields the free-atom lifetimes and collisional transfer cross sections of these excited states. An analogy is drawn between this variation and that of the energy eigenvalues of an atom under external perturbation.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/10/13/001

Related papers

Collisional disalignment of caesium Rydberg states

Leslie Pendrill, George William Series

Cross sections for the disalignment of excited caesium atoms, by collision with atoms in ground states, have been determined by studying the damping of quantum beats in fluorescence. Atoms in a sealed cell were excited selectively to 122D3/2 and 132S3/2 by a pulsed tunable laser and discharge lamp. Alignment was induced by linear polarisation of the exciting light and monitored correspondingly. The quantum beats originate in the coherent excitation of hyperfine states whose structures have been determined in previous work. Collisional damping is investigated studying the quantum-beat signal over a range of atomic densities. The fluorescence contains a component representing the decay of population as well as of alignment, and extraction of the alignment cross sections relies on previous measurements of the depopulation cross sections. The results for disalignment cross sections are: sigma (2)(122D3/2)=4.1+or-0.8*10-16 m2, sigma (2)(132D3/2)=5.3+or-0.9*10-16 m2, about three times larger than the depopulation cross sections. Radiative lifetimes obtained from the analysis agree with previous determinations.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Dec 14, 1978•6 citations

Cross-sections for energy transfer to high Rydberg states of caesium in collisions of excited Cd and unexcited Cs atoms

A. Czajkowski, M. Czajkowski

Collisional transfer of excitation energy from cadmium to caesium was investigated using methods of sensitized fluorescence. A mixture of cadmium and caesium vapors at low pressure was irradiated with Cd 3263.0 Å resonance radiation producing a population of Cd (53P1) atoms whose inelastic collisions with ground-state Cs atoms resulted in a transfer of excitation energy to a close-lying S, P, D and F states in caesium. The subsequent decay of these states manifested itself in the emission of sensitized fluorescence spectrum. Intensity measurements on the components of the spectrum by means of energy calibrated detector yielded some 50 cross-section values whose magnitudes range from 0.2 Å2 to 30.0 Å2 and which exhibit a pronounced resonances with ΔE the energy defect between Cd (53P1) and the appropriate level in caesium.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Jun 1, 2005•0 citations

Ionisation of excited caesium atoms (9.4⩽n*⩽ or ≈29) in collisions with Cs(6S)

Vitas Švedas

The ionisation yields of the optically excited caesium atoms (9.4<or=n*<or approximately=29) are measured in a vapour cell at a caesium vapour density of about 10 14 cm -3 . Direct ionisation rate constants are given for Rydberg atoms with 9.4<or=n*<or=21.4. Collisions with caesium ground-state atoms and black-body radiation strongly modify the population of Rydberg levels with n*>or approximately=25 so the concept of direct collisional ionisation cannot be applied to those levels. The diffusional ionisation mechanism of Rydberg atoms in vapour cells, atomic beams or buffer gases is discussed.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jan 28, 1988•6 citations

Lifetimes, depopulation cross sections and hyperfine structures of some Rydberg S and D states of133Cs

J. S. Deech, Robert Luypaert, Leslie Pendrill +1 more

Measurements have been made of time-resolved fluorescence from n 2 S 1/2 and n 2 D 3/2 states of 133 Cs (n=8 to 14) over a range of vapour densities covering the onset of collisional depopulation. Lifetimes for the free atom and depopulation cross sections are deduced. Lifetimes are proportional to (n*) x with x=2.52+or-0.06 (S states) and 2.62+or-0.06 (D 3/2 states). Cross sections are proportional to (n*) 4 . Hyperfine-structure interaction constants for the 2 D 3/2 states determined by the method of quantum beats agree with the recent results of Belin et al. (1976).

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Apr 1, 1977•60 citations

Collision-induced energy transfer in intermediate excited states of cesium

M. Łukaszewski, I. Jackowska

We report an application of laser spectroscopy techniques to a study of collision-induced interactions in atomic excited states. Due to pulsed dye laser excitation a considerable selective population of highly excited states of ccsium is obtained. Collision-induced transfer of excitation energy between the excited states results in modifications in time and spectral characteristics of observed atomic fluorescence. Quantitative information on the efficiency of collisional processes can be obtained from the measurements of time constants of the time-resolved fluorescence signals and/or from those of the integrated intensities of the fluorescence lines. Both possibilities are used in the present work. Perturbation of nD (n=8-14) and nS (n=1O-15) states of cesium in collisions with noble-gas atoms is investigated. The cross sections for the transfer of excitation between fine-structure substates of the nD states (J mixing) and for the nS-(n-4)F intermultiplet transfer are obtained.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Sep 24, 1993•0 citations

Hyperfine structures, lifetimes and collisional cross sections of some Rydberg D states of133Cs

Shun Nakayama, F. M. Kelly, George William Series

Earlier experimental work on the n2D3/2 states of 133Cs has been extended to n=15 and 16. Hyperfine interaction constants and radiative lifetimes are found to follow the trends established for lower values of n, but the measured collisional cross sections are smaller than the extrapolated values.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•Mar 14, 1981•17 citations
Measurements of the time-resolved fluorescence from some highly excited states of 133Cs atoms (n2D3/2, n2D5/2 and n2S1/2(n-4)2F; n=9 to 15) have shown multi-exponential behaviour which depends on vapour pressure. This behaviour is the result of mixing of population caused by collisions between the excited and ground-state atoms. The variation of the exponential rate constants with vapour density yields the free-atom lifetimes and collisional transfer cross sections of these excited states. An analogy is drawn between this variation and that of the energy eigenvalues of an atom under external perturbation.
Cross sections for the disalignment of excited caesium atoms, by collision with atoms in ground states, have been determined by studying the damping of quantum beats in fluorescence. Atoms in a sealed cell were excited selectively to 122D3/2 and 132S3/2 by a pulsed tunable laser and discharge lamp. Alignment was induced by linear polarisation of the exciting light and monitored correspondingly. The quantum beats originate in the coherent excitation of hyperfine states whose structures have been determined in previous work. Collisional damping is investigated studying the quantum-beat signal over a range of atomic densities. The fluorescence contains a component representing the decay of population as well as of alignment, and extraction of the alignment cross sections relies on previous measurements of the depopulation cross sections. The results for disalignment cross sections are: sigma (2)(122D3/2)=4.1+or-0.8*10-16 m2, sigma (2)(132D3/2)=5.3+or-0.9*10-16 m2, about three times larger than the depopulation cross sections. Radiative lifetimes obtained from the analysis agree with previous determinations.
Collisional transfer of excitation energy from cadmium to caesium was investigated using methods of sensitized fluorescence. A mixture of cadmium and caesium vapors at low pressure was irradiated with Cd 3263.0 Å resonance radiation producing a population of Cd (53P1) atoms whose inelastic collisions with ground-state Cs atoms resulted in a transfer of excitation energy to a close-lying S, P, D and F states in caesium. The subsequent decay of these states manifested itself in the emission of sensitized fluorescence spectrum. Intensity measurements on the components of the spectrum by means of energy calibrated detector yielded some 50 cross-section values whose magnitudes range from 0.2 Å2 to 30.0 Å2 and which exhibit a pronounced resonances with ΔE the energy defect between Cd (53P1) and the appropriate level in caesium.
The ionisation yields of the optically excited caesium atoms (9.4<or=n*<or approximately=29) are measured in a vapour cell at a caesium vapour density of about 10 14 cm -3 . Direct ionisation rate constants are given for Rydberg atoms with 9.4<or=n*<or=21.4. Collisions with caesium ground-state atoms and black-body radiation strongly modify the population of Rydberg levels with n*>or approximately=25 so the concept of direct collisional ionisation cannot be applied to those levels. The diffusional ionisation mechanism of Rydberg atoms in vapour cells, atomic beams or buffer gases is discussed.
Measurements have been made of time-resolved fluorescence from n 2 S 1/2 and n 2 D 3/2 states of 133 Cs (n=8 to 14) over a range of vapour densities covering the onset of collisional depopulation. Lifetimes for the free atom and depopulation cross sections are deduced. Lifetimes are proportional to (n*) x with x=2.52+or-0.06 (S states) and 2.62+or-0.06 (D 3/2 states). Cross sections are proportional to (n*) 4 . Hyperfine-structure interaction constants for the 2 D 3/2 states determined by the method of quantum beats agree with the recent results of Belin et al. (1976).
We report an application of laser spectroscopy techniques to a study of collision-induced interactions in atomic excited states. Due to pulsed dye laser excitation a considerable selective population of highly excited states of ccsium is obtained. Collision-induced transfer of excitation energy between the excited states results in modifications in time and spectral characteristics of observed atomic fluorescence. Quantitative information on the efficiency of collisional processes can be obtained from the measurements of time constants of the time-resolved fluorescence signals and/or from those of the integrated intensities of the fluorescence lines. Both possibilities are used in the present work. Perturbation of nD (n=8-14) and nS (n=1O-15) states of cesium in collisions with noble-gas atoms is investigated. The cross sections for the transfer of excitation between fine-structure substates of the nD states (J mixing) and for the nS-(n-4)F intermultiplet transfer are obtained.