Coherence transfer between the 3
sup2P/sub 1/2/ and 3
sup2P/sub 3/2/ states in sodium, induced in collisions with noble gas atoms
The cross sections for disorientation of magnetically oriented
62P21 cesium atoms, induced in collisions with noble gases, have been determined using Zeeman-scanning techniques at kilogauss magnetic fields. The ${m}_{J}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}$, ${m}_{I}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{7}{2}$ hyperfine Zeeman substate was populated selectively by irradiating the cesium-vapor-noble-gas mixture with cesium-resonance radiation, and collisional transitions to the
mJ=+21, ${m}_{I}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{7}{2}$ substate were monitored by measurements of the relative intensities of the ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{+}$ components in resonance fluorescence observed in the direction parallel to the magnetic field. The following cross sections were obtained: Cs-He, 11.8
A˚2; Cs-Ne, 4.7
A˚2; Cs-Ar, 10.7
A˚2; Cs-Kr, 37.9
A˚2; Cs-Xe, 71.7
A˚2.