Light-force technique for measuring polarizabilities

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7263572

Kadar-Kallen, M A

This thesis presents a new technique for measuring polarizabilities which uses a pulsed electromagnetic standing wave to change the velocity distribution of an atomic beam. The technique was evaluated by measuring the polarizability of rubidium, which has been measured using static fields. It is surprising that the polarizability, the lowest order electric moment of an atom, has not been measured for the majority of elements in the periodic table. The technique presented here was developed specifically to address the difficulties in measuring the polarizabilities of refractory elements. An intense, non-resonant, pulsed laser is reflected from a mirror to form a standing wave. The conservative dipole force on an atom is proportional to the polarizability of the atom, and is proportional to the gradient of the intensity of the standing wave at the position of the atom. The atoms are detected by measuring the absorption of a near-resonant cw laser which is 0.6 cm downstream from the standing wave. The standing wave gives the atoms velocity kicks which Doppler-shift the resonance frequencies of the atoms, resulting in an increase or reduction in the absorption of the probe laser.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7263572
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664200* -- Spectra of Atoms & Molecules & their Interactions with Photons-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ALLOYS
ATOMIC BEAMS
BEAMS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLARIZABILITY
REFRACTORY METALS
RUBIDIUM
STANDING WAVES