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Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Laser optogalvanic spectroscopy of the even-parity Rydberg states of atomic mercury

M. A. Zia, Muhammad Aslam Baig

Published Dec 1, 2005• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present new experimental data on the highly excited levels in mercury using the optogalvanic detection technique in conjunction with a dc discharge cell. The collisionally populated 6s6p 3P2 metastable level has been used as an intermediate level to access the Rydberg states using a frequency-doubled dye laser covering the wavelength region between 370 and 249 nm. The optogalvanic data reveal 6sns 3S1(13≤n≤50), 6snd 2D1(6≤n≤18), 6snp 3D1(6≤n≤14), 6snd 3D2(6≤n≤15), and 6snd 3D3(6≤n≤59) Rydberg series. The 6sns 3S1 and 6snd 3D3 Rydberg series to such a high n value have been reported for the first time. In addition, collisionally induced parity-forbidden transitions 6snp 3P1(44≤n≤50) have been detected.

DOI
10.1364/josab.22.002702

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Laser-Microwave Spectrometer for Studying Mercury Atoms in Rydberg States

Stanislav F. Dyubko, Mykola L. Pogrebnyak, E. A. Alekseev +1 more

A modification of the laser - microwave spectrometer for studying mercury atoms in Rydberg np and nf states is presented. To test the operability of the performed modification of the laser pump system, the optical excitation spectrum of Rydberg states of mercury atoms was recorded. From the ground 61S0 state to Rydberg np and nf states mercury atoms were excited according to a two-stage scheme: to the intermediate 61D2 with two-photon absorption of the second harmonic radiation from the Rhodamine 560 dye laser, and from the intermediate state to np and nf states by the radiation of a LDS-751 dye laser, which may be tuned in the wavelength range from 751 nm to 790 nm. The performed tests show the operability of the selected scheme for pumping mercury atoms into Rydberg states.

IEEE Ukrainian Microwave Week (UkrMW)•Sep 21, 2020•0 citations
We present new experimental data on the highly excited levels in mercury using the optogalvanic detection technique in conjunction with a dc discharge cell. The collisionally populated 6s6p 3P2 metastable level has been used as an intermediate level to access the Rydberg states using a frequency-doubled dye laser covering the wavelength region between 370 and 249 nm. The optogalvanic data reveal 6sns 3S1(13≤n≤50), 6snd 2D1(6≤n≤18), 6snp 3D1(6≤n≤14), 6snd 3D2(6≤n≤15), and 6snd 3D3(6≤n≤59) Rydberg series. The 6sns 3S1 and 6snd 3D3 Rydberg series to such a high n value have been reported for the first time. In addition, collisionally induced parity-forbidden transitions 6snp 3P1(44≤n≤50) have been detected.
An optogalvanic detection scheme, in conjunction with a single-step pulsed laser excitation has been used to measure the energy of even parity Rydberg levels in krypton. The excitation scheme starts from the 5s(3/2)2 and 5s'(1/2)0 metastable states, which have been populated in a He-Kr discharge tube. Measured energies were compared to either calculated or previously measured values. Calculated energies were obtained with the Rydberg formula using quantum defects extrapolated from the known low-lying levels. Keywords include: Krypton, Rydberg atoms, Atomic spectra, Optogalvanic spectroscopy.
Odd-parity barium Rydberg states have been populated by stepwise excitation via M1-E1 and E2-E1 transitions, starting from the 6s2 1S0 ground state. Using two cw dye ring lasers and employing thermionic detection, Doppler-free spectra of 6snp 1,3P and 6snf 1,3F Rydberg states have been recorded with excellent signal/noise ratios. A systematic study of the hyperfine structure of 6snp 1P1 Rydberg states has been carried out. Between n=20 and n=23 a resonance in singlet-triplet mixing occurs caused by configuration interaction with the 5d8p 1P1 perturbing state, located close to the first ionization limit. Our results are in disagreement with an existing multichannel quantum defect analysis of this series. The singlet-triplet mixing of 6snp 1P1 and 6snd 1D2 Rydberg series is compared.
The even-parity spectra of strontium and barium are very complex due to strong perturbation by several doubly excited configurations and this also increases discrepancies between theory and experiment in accurate level assignment and energy level and atomic structure data, particularly for the spectra of highly excited atoms and their behaviour in external fields and collisional processes which are of fundamental importance in the emerging applications in physics of cold atoms, quantum computing, precision atomic clocks and in the crossed-field problem. This thesis presents results from an experimental study to improve and extend the previously published observations in the two-photon spectra of the high-lying Rydberg states of SrI and Bal placed under a variety of test conditions such as external fields, collisions etc. Orthogonal excitation of a novel atomic jet in a purpose-built heat-pipe setup using a Xenon Chloride excimer laser pumped tunable narrow bandwidth dye laser and high sensitivity space-charge ionization in thermionic diode with complimentary optical detection was used for measurements. Presented are the two-photon spectra covering the dye laser wavelength (air) range of 460 - 425 nm for strontium and 495 - 467 nm for barium by which the J = 0,2 even-parity Rydberg series and autoionizing resonances just above the ionization limits labeled as; (4d2+5p2) 1D2 in strontium and 5d5f2p1 in barium were observed. Original new energy level values are presented with substantial extension to the data in the literature for even-parity Rydberg series: Sr I: 5sns 1S0 (12 < n < 46), 5snd 3D2 (9 < n < 47) and 5snd 1D2 (9 < n < 82) Ba I: 6sns 1S0 (13 < n < 68), 6snd 3D2 (11 < n < 46) and 6snd 1D2 (11 < n < 88) New observation of certain anomalies including a Stark shift reversal effect and zero-field thermionic diode detection with remarkable sensitivity preserving all spectral features of Rydberg states is also presented. Controlled configuration mixing by exploiting electric field and collisions has allowed new observations for the two-photon forbidden odd-parity Rydberg series of SrI: 5s2 1S0 -> 5snp 1P1o (32 < n < 46) and 5s2 1S0 -> 5snf 1F30 (29 < n < 44) Extensive study of collision involving Rydberg atoms with neutral rare gas atoms has allowed to obtain new data for shift and broadening rates for Sr I series: 5sns 1S0 and 5snd 1,3D2 in the perturbed region which clearly exhibit Ramsauer effect. Collisional evolution of a remarkably broad resonance, labeled as 4d2 1G4, also exhibiting Ramsauer effect, is presented besides new level data for strontium 4d2 3PJ states accessed by two distinct processes- direct two-photon excitation and single-photon sequential excitation. Furthermore, the thesis presents the results of a novel experimental technique involving time-resolved gated pulsed field detection technique (GPT) employed for the first time to examine the time decay of Rydberg atoms yielding their effective lifetimes.
High Rydberg levels of ytterbium were studied in a beam of metastable atoms. Levels of the series 4f14^{14}14 6snsnsnd were populated from the metastable 4f14^{14}14 6s 6p 3^33Po_oo​ level by means of the U.V. light of a frequency-doubled single-mode dye laser and detected using the field ionization technique. The critical ionization fields FcF_cFc​ of the levels 4f14^{14}14 6snsnsnd 3^33D1_11​ (24 ≤ n ≤ 57) were measured and found to obey the saddle point law (FcF_cFc​ = (16 n∗4n^{*4}n∗4)−1^{-1}−1). The hyperfine structures of the odd isotopes were investigated. They are very peculiar due to the fact that the hyperfine interaction is of the same order of magnitude as (or even for the highest nnn values, much more important than) the spin-orbit and electrostatic interactions. A theoretical account of the observed structures using the Slater-Condon parametric method is given. The relative influence of the excited (nnnd) and of the non-excited (6s) optical electron could thus be studied. Furthermore the influence of a valence level perturbing only the odd isotopes components for nnn = 26 was demonstrated.
A modification of the laser - microwave spectrometer for studying mercury atoms in Rydberg np and nf states is presented. To test the operability of the performed modification of the laser pump system, the optical excitation spectrum of Rydberg states of mercury atoms was recorded. From the ground 61S0 state to Rydberg np and nf states mercury atoms were excited according to a two-stage scheme: to the intermediate 61D2 with two-photon absorption of the second harmonic radiation from the Rhodamine 560 dye laser, and from the intermediate state to np and nf states by the radiation of a LDS-751 dye laser, which may be tuned in the wavelength range from 751 nm to 790 nm. The performed tests show the operability of the selected scheme for pumping mercury atoms into Rydberg states.