Precision Atomic Beam Spectroscopy Using Stabilized Lasers.
Abstract
The goal of our work has been to investigate a few well-chosen effects in laser spectroscopy under clean experimental conditions which facilitate a sharp and meaningful contact with theory. The initially-defined task was to study large pulse-area effects in single upward transitions from metastable atoms in a fast, monovelocity Ne* beam. It proved possible as well to investigate multiple-pulse transitions on a cw basis. Ramsey fringe resonance signatures were clearly observed and for the first time in the optical domain, using three pulse excitation. Basically the first two zones of light provide initially a coherence and secondly an atomic population in the excited state. The counter-running fields in the second zone and third zones convert excited state population into a coherence again and finally into a nonlinear (with intensity) change in the excited and ground state populations. In view of the time gap tau in the preparation phase, one could anticipate and did observe narrow Ramsey fringes which vary as cos (delta, omega, tau) in the middle of the single zone excitation linewidth function ( Rabbi pedestal ). The neon beam employed was rather fast (v/c approx. .001) and, being produced by charge transfer had an exceptionally an narrow velocity distribution, delta, approx .0001. These characteristics permitted unambiguous measurements of the fringe shapes and facilitated useful contact with theory. A second extremely successful experiment was the combination of laser excitation of two-photon Doppler-free transitions in the 5S yields nS series in Rubidium with precise <<Lambdameter>> interferometer techniques to accurately measure the transition wavelength.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA182412
Entities
People
- John L. Hall
Organizations
- JILA