Physical Review A
Optical spectroscopy of nP Rydberg states of Rb87 atoms with a 297-nm ultraviolet laser
Bo Li, Meng Li, Xiaojun Jiang, Jun Qian, Xiaolin Li, Liang Liu, Yuzhu Wang
Abstract
We report the measurement of the absolute transition frequencies of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms to the $n{P}_{1/2}$ ($n=34--52$) and $n{P}_{3/2}$ ($n=34--90$) Rydberg states by performing single-photon Rydberg excitation spectroscopy in a vapor cell. Rydberg transitions were detected by monitoring the transmission of a 780-nm probe beam. Based on the spectroscopic data, we determined the fine-splitting intervals and oscillator-strength ratios of the $nP$ doublets and also extracted the quantum defects and ionization frequency. These results extend the spectroscopic information of the $nP$ Rydberg series, providing basic knowledge for further applications to Rydberg atoms.