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Observation of sodium D-line quantum beat in LIF using stepwise fs excitation

Gautier Vilmart, Michael S. Scherman, Anais Chiabaut, Nelly Dorval

Published Jan 1, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report a direct observation of quantum beating between 3P1/2 and 3P3/2 levels of atomic sodium using ultrashort laser pulses. Comparison with a semi-classical model shows very good agreement with the experimental signal.
DOI
10.1364/lacsea.2024.lm3f.6

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We report the observation of fine-structure and Zeeman quantum beats in highly excited sodium DDD states prepared, for the first time in a quantum-beat experiment, by stepwise excitation using two synchronously pulsed dye lasers. We have used this new technique to measure the previously unknown fine-structure intervals of levels 9D9D9D and 10D10D10D of sodium, the values being, respectively, 124.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5 and 91.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 MHz.
In femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing experiments in sodium vapor, quantum beats are observed at the wavelength of the third harmonic when the fundamental beams are three-photon resonant. The period of beating, which corresponds to fine structure energy-level splitting, does not change with the atomic number density, buffer gas pressure, or laser intensity. Surprisingly, the third-harmonic signal is observed only at negative time delays for the transient grating pulse sequence. We relate this to the well-known interference effect between excitation pathways involving the fundamental and the third-harmonic fields, which leaves atoms virtually unexcited and prevents formation of population grating.