PHOTOEXCITATION OF CESIUM THROUGH DISSOCIATIVE STATES OF THE CESIUM DIMER
C. W. Walter
Abstract
The two-photon excitation of cesium to high-n Rydberg levels through resonant dissociative states of the dimer is investigated over the wavelength range 6000-5900A. Highly vibrationally excited $\\sp1\\Sigma\\sb{\\rm g}\\sp+$ ground state molecules are excited to the continuum of $\\sp1\\Pi\\sb{\\rm u}$ bound states which dissociate to give 5D atoms. The 5D atoms are subsequently photoexcited to high-n Rydberg states which are detected by selective field ionization techniques. Series corresponding to both (5D $\\to$ nF) and (5D $\\to$ nP) transitions with components up to n = 150 were observed. The photoexcitation process appears to be very efficient and produces copious quantities of Cs Rydberg atoms.