Light-induced atomic desorption and diffusion of Rb from porous alumina

Journal Article · Mon Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.032901· OSTI ID:21415168

Villalba, S; Failache, H; Lezama, A ^[1]

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1. Instituto de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de la Republica, J. Herrera y Reissig 565, 11300 Montevideo (Uruguay)

We present a study of light-induced atom desorption (LIAD) of an alkali-metal atom (Rb) in porous alumina. We observe the variation due to LIAD of the rubidium density in a vapor cell as a function of illumination time, intensity, and wavelength. The simple and regular structure of the alumina pores allows a description of the atomic diffusion in the porous medium in which the diffusion constant only depends on the known pore geometry and the atomic sticking time to the pore wall. A simple one-dimensional theoretical model is presented which reproduces the essential features of the observed signals. Fitting of the model to the experimental data gives access to the diffusion constant and consequently the atom-wall sticking time and its dependence on light intensity and wavelength. The nonmonotonic dependence of the LIAD yield on the illumination light frequency is indicative of the existence of Rb clusters in the porous medium.

• OSTI ID: 21415168
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 81, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.032901; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ATOMS
DENSITY
DESORPTION
DIFFUSION
FUNCTIONS
GEOMETRY
ILLUMINANCE
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
POROUS MATERIALS
RUBIDIUM
SIGNALS
VAPORS
VARIATIONS
VISIBLE RADIATION
WAVELENGTHS
ALKALI METALS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SORPTION