Hyperfine structure measurement of
87Rb atoms injected into superfluid helium as highly energetic ion beam
Measurements of collisional loss of optically trapped Rb atoms are presented for excitation of the colliding atoms by light tuned near the 5
S1/2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5
P1/2 transitions of
85Rb and
87Rb. Using the
P1/2 state allows the effects of spontaneous emission on excited-state collisions to be studied with minimal complications arising from hyperfine structure. The shapes of the collision spectra are nearly identical for the two isotopes and are consistent with a simple model for the role of spontaneous emission during the collision.
We present measurements of the hyperfine structure (HFS) of the
nPJ Rydberg states for a large range of principal quantum number
n (n=41−−55) employing microwave spectroscopy in an ultracold cesium Rydberg ensemble. A microwave field with $30\text{\ensuremath{-}}\textmu{}\mathrm{s}$ duration couples the $nS\ensuremath{\rightarrow}nP$ transition, yielding a narrow linewidth spectroscopy that approaches the Fourier limit, which allows us to resolve the hyperfine structure of
nPJ states. By analyzing the hyperfine splittings of
nPJ states, we determine the magnetic dipole HFS coupling constant
AHFS,P1/2=3.760(26) GHz for the
P1/2 state, and
AHFS,P3/2=0.718(27) GHz and ${\overline{B}}_{\mathrm{HFS},{P}_{3/2}}=\ensuremath{-}0.084(102)$ GHz for the
P3/2 state. Systematic uncertainties caused by stray electromagnetic field, microwave field power, and Rydberg interaction are analyzed. This measurement is significant for the investigation of Rydberg electrometry and quantum simulation with dipole interaction involving the
nPJ state.