Experiments on Laser Excited Alkali Atoms

M. Allegrini, Silvia Gozzini, L. Moi

M. Allegrini, Silvia Gozzini, G. Squadrito +2 more

Energy transfer collisions between two laser excited alkali atoms of different species have been investigated in cell experiments using an intermodulation technique. Cross sections have been measured for the potassium/rubidium mixture and evidence of three‐body collisions in presence of a buffer gas has been obtained in the sodium/potassium mixture.

Janusz Czub, W. Miklaszewski

A. Hatakeyama, Katsunari Enomoto, T. Yabuzaki

Properties of alkali atoms (mainly rubidium and cesium) in a cold helium gas have been extensively studied. Experiments are performed at temperatures down to 1.2 K using alkali-metal vapor cells containing a helium buffer gas, with alkali atoms driven from the cell walls by one of three loading methods: laser ablation, light-induced atom desorption, and spark discharge. For alkali atoms loaded into the cold helium gas, we have found that the relaxation time of the electronic spin of optically polarized rubidium atoms in the ground state is about a minute, much longer than that achieved in conventional vapor cells at room temperature and above. We have also spectroscopically investigated the interactions of excited alkali atoms with helium atoms, especially the formation of alkali–He exciplexes.

David L. Moores

Jason D. Readle, C. J. Wagner, J.T. Verdeyen +2 more

Lasing on the 62P1/2→62S1/2(D1) resonance transition of atomic Cs at 894.3 nm has been demonstrated in mixtures of Ar, ethane, and Cs vapor by the photoexcitation of ground state Cs-Ar collision pairs and subsequent dissociation of diatomic, electronically-excited CsAr molecules (exciplexes or excimers). The blue satellites of the alkali D2 lines provide a pathway for optically pumping atomic alkali lasers on the principal series (resonance) transitions with broad linewidth (>2 nm) semiconductor diode lasers. In this paper we discuss different variations of this new laser system and the experiments of the initial demonstration.