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Noble-gas-induced collisional line broadening of atomic-lithium Rydberg superposition states 2S-nS and 2S-nD (n = 4 to 30) measured by trilevel echoes

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5412985

The pioneering research of Fuchtbauer et al. on Na-3S-nP transition broadening by Ar gas demonstrated that the collisional-broadening cross section increases sharply for an increasing principal quantum number n for low n, peaks as n approaches the Rydberg regime, and then decreases to a small function of its maximum value. It appears to reach an asymptotic value (independent of n) in the high-n regime. This behavior has been corroborated by several other experimental efforts. Collisional relaxation of 2S-nS and 2S-nD superposition states in atomic Li vapor is measured with the trilevel photon-echo technique. Principal quantum numbers range from n=4 to well into the Rydberg regime with n=30. For the rare-gas perturbers (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) the variation of collisional cross section with n is considerably weaker than that previously found with Na vapor. Keywords: Optical coherent transients; Two photon excitation; Sodium vapor.

Research Organization:
Columbia Univ., New York (USA). Columbia Radiation Lab.
OSTI ID:
5412985
Report Number(s):
AD-A-168032/1/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English