Physical Review Letters

Fine Structure of Na 4dD2 Using High-Resolution Two-Photon Spectroscopy

David E. Pritchard, J. Apt, Theodore W. Ducas

Published Mar 25, 1974• 84 citations

Abstract

We have measured the fine-structure splitting of the $4d^{2}D$ state of neutral sodium using high-resolution, cw, simultaneous two-photon excitation from the $3s^{2}S$ ground state. Sodium atoms in an atomic beam were excited by a single-mode, cw, tunable dye laser, and the resonance was detected by monitoring the decay fluorescence from the excited state. The fine structure of the $4d^{2}D$ state was well resolved and measured to be ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\mathrm{fs}}=1025\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6$ MHz.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.32.641

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Physical Review Letters

Fine Structure of Na 4dD2 Using High-Resolution Two-Photon Spectroscopy

David E. Pritchard, J. Apt, Theodore W. Ducas

Published Mar 25, 1974• 84 citations

Publisher

Abstract

We have measured the fine-structure splitting of the

4d^{2}D

state of neutral sodium using high-resolution, cw, simultaneous two-photon excitation from the

3s^{2}S

ground state. Sodium atoms in an atomic beam were excited by a single-mode, cw, tunable dye laser, and the resonance was detected by monitoring the decay fluorescence from the excited state. The fine structure of the

4d^{2}D

state was well resolved and measured to be

{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\mathrm{fs}}=1025\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6

MHz.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.32.641

Related papers

Stark-effect study of excited states in sodium using two-photon spectroscopy

Roberta Hawkins, W. T. Hill, Frank V. Kowalski +2 more

We have used two-photon absorption from counterpropagating laser beams of different frequencies to measure Stark shifts and splittings of the $6^{2}S$ , $7^{2}S$ , $8^{2}S$ , $5^{2}D$ , and $6^{2}D$ states in sodium. Beams from a fixed-frequency, single-mode ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$ laser and a tunable, single-frequency cw dye laser were focussed into a coarse sodium atomic beam and the fluorescence was monitored. The collimation of the atomic beam reduced the residual Doppler width inherent in using two different frequencies. Using the two lasers allowed two-photon transitions to be observed at frequencies unattainable with the dye laser alone, and enhanced the transition rates due to the near resonance of the dye laser with the strong Na $3^{2}S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3^{2}P$ transition. Our experimental results for the scalar and tensor polarizabilities, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$, agree with calculations in the Bates and Damgaard Coulomb approximation within 2% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and 9% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$. As a by-product the hyperfine-interaction constants $a$ for the $S$ states and the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{({E}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{\frac{5}{2}})}{h}$ for the $D$ states were obtained.We have used two-photon absorption from counterpropagating laser beams of different frequencies to measure Stark shifts and splittings of the $6^{2}S$, $7^{2}S$, $8^{2}S$, $5^{2}D$, and $6^{2}D$ states in sodium. Beams from a fixed-frequency, single-mode ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$ laser and a tunable, single-frequency cw dye laser were focussed into a coarse sodium atomic beam and the fluorescence was monitored. The collimation of the atomic beam reduced the residual Doppler width inherent in using two different frequencies. Using the two lasers allowed two-photon transitions to be observed at frequencies unattainable with the dye laser alone, and enhanced the transition rates due to the near resonance of the dye laser with the strong Na $3^{2}S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3^{2}P$ transition. Our experimental results for the scalar and tensor polarizabilities, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$, agree with calculations in the Bates and Damgaard Coulomb approximation within 2% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and 9% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$. As a by-product the hyperfine-interaction constants $a$ for the $S$ states and the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{({E}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{\frac{5}{2}})}{h}$ for the $D$ states were obtained.

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Theodor W. Hänsch, I. S. Shahin, ARTHUR L. SCHAWLOW

The sodium $D$ resonance lines have been studied in saturated absorption with a repetitively pulsed tunable dye laser. The hyperfine splitting of the $3^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $3^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ states of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}$ is resolved. Measurements with a delayed probe reveal a remanent hole burning in the velocity distributions of the two ground-state levels, caused by a velocity-selective optical pumping cycle. A time-resolved observation of the collisional-velocity thermalization in the presence of Ar buffer gas is reported.The sodium $D$ resonance lines have been studied in saturated absorption with a repetitively pulsed tunable dye laser. The hyperfine splitting of the $3^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $3^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ states of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}$ is resolved. Measurements with a delayed probe reveal a remanent hole burning in the velocity distributions of the two ground-state levels, caused by a velocity-selective optical pumping cycle. A time-resolved observation of the collisional-velocity thermalization in the presence of Ar buffer gas is reported.

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Physical Review LettersMar 25, 1974285 citations

We have measured the fine-structure splitting of the

4d^{2}D

state of neutral sodium using high-resolution, cw, simultaneous two-photon excitation from the

3s^{2}S

4d^{2}D

state was well resolved and measured to be

{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\mathrm{fs}}=1025\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6

MHz.

We have used two-photon absorption from counterpropagating laser beams of different frequencies to measure Stark shifts and splittings of the

6^{2}S

7^{2}S

8^{2}S

5^{2}D

, and

6^{2}D

states in sodium. Beams from a fixed-frequency, single-mode

{\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}

laser and a tunable, single-frequency cw dye laser were focussed into a coarse sodium atomic beam and the fluorescence was monitored. The collimation of the atomic beam reduced the residual Doppler width inherent in using two different frequencies. Using the two lasers allowed two-photon transitions to be observed at frequencies unattainable with the dye laser alone, and enhanced the transition rates due to the near resonance of the dye laser with the strong Na $3^{2}S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3^{2}P$ transition. Our experimental results for the scalar and tensor polarizabilities, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$, agree with calculations in the Bates and Damgaard Coulomb approximation within 2% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ and 9% for ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$. As a by-product the hyperfine-interaction constants

a

for the

S

states and the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{({E}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{\frac{5}{2}})}{h}$ for the

D

states were obtained.

4d

fine-structure splitting, 1028\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 MHz.

The fine-structure splitting of the

4F

state of atomic sodium is determined using the technique of two-photon spectroscopy with a resonant intermediate state. The sensitivity of this Doppler-free technique allows observation of the electric-dipole-forbidden $3S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4F$ two-photon transition. The

4F

fine-structure splitting is found to be 229\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4 MHz. Its sign and magnitude are hydrogenic, in complete contrast to the

D

levels of Na.

The sodium

D

resonance lines have been studied in saturated absorption with a repetitively pulsed tunable dye laser. The hyperfine splitting of the

3^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}

and

3^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}

states of

{\mathrm{Na}}^{23}

is resolved. Measurements with a delayed probe reveal a remanent hole burning in the velocity distributions of the two ground-state levels, caused by a velocity-selective optical pumping cycle. A time-resolved observation of the collisional-velocity thermalization in the presence of Ar buffer gas is reported.

{A}_{5S}

in the

5S

state of the

{\mathrm{Na}}^{23}

atom is determined to be 101\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 MHz.