Alkaline earth-noble gas excimers
Abstract
An investigation of the interaction between alkaline earth atoms in the triplet state and noble gas atoms was made. A major effort was devoted to producing large triplet state populations via laser excitation of the singlet state and collisional transfer to the triplet state. Cross sections for this process were measured using a new technique developed in this laboratory. These cross sections were much larger than expected. The results predicted a population inversion in strontium was possible and an attempt was made to produce a strontium laser. Because of low laser pump power, and inversion of only fifty percent was achieved. A technique was developed to do laser spectroscopy at low temperature in a sealed cell containing metal atom vapors and high pressure noble gases. The technique was tested by measuring, for the first time, the excited state potential of the sodium-helium excimer molecular. This difficult experiment was made possible by state-of-the art laser spectroscopy and the low temperature technique, which enhanced the excimer emission by orders of magnitude.
- Publication:
-
New Hampshire Univ. Report
- Pub Date:
- August 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981nhud.rept.....W
- Keywords:
-
- Alkaline Earth Metals;
- Excimers;
- Laser Spectroscopy;
- Rare Gases;
- Atomic Energy Levels;
- Calcium;
- Electron Transfer;
- Emission Spectra;
- Helium;
- Metal Vapors;
- Molecular Structure;
- Sodium;
- Strontium;
- Lasers and Masers