Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1986

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevA.34.2758

Publication Title

Physical Review A (General Physics)

Volume

34

Issue

4

Pages

2758-2766

Abstract

Experimental ratios for branching into the fine-structure levels of the Na 3p multiplet, as a consequence of an optical collision with He, Ne, Ar, Kr, or Xe, are reported. The process studied is Na(3s2S1/2)+R+nhNNa(3p2Pj)+R+(n-1)hN, where R represents a rare-gas atom and where the laser frequency N is tuned in the wings of the Na resonance transitions. The branching ratios are defined as I(D1)/I(D2) where I(D1) and I(D2) are measured intensities of the atomic Na D1 and D2 lines. The ratios are determined for detunings ranging from about 650 cm-1 in the blue wing to 170 cm-1 in the red wing of the Na 3p multiplet. The branching is found to be strongly detuning dependent in the vicinity of the NaAr, NaKr, and NaXe, near-red-wing satellites. The blue-wing branching ratios show a detuning-dependent approach to a recoil, or sudden statistical, limit of 0.5, irrespective of the rare gas. Fine-structure changing cross sections have also been measured for resonant excitation of the Na 3p2Pj state; the results are consistent with cross sections obtained from wing excitation.

Original Publication Citation

Havey, M.D., Delahanty, F.T., Vahala, L.L., & Copeland, G.E. (1986). Experimental fine-structure branching ratios for Na-rare-gas optical collisions. Physical Review A (General Physics), 34(4), 2758-2766. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.34.2758

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