Precise measurement of hyperfine structure in the $ \mathsf {5P_{3/2}}$ state of $ \mathsf {^{85}}$ Rb

Abstract

We demonstrate a technique to measure hyperfine structure using a frequency-stabilized diode laser and an acousto-optic modulator locked to the frequency difference between two hyperfine peaks. We use this technique to measure hyperfine intervals in the 5P 3/2 state of 85 Rb and obtain a precision of 20 kHz. We extract values for the magnetic-dipole coupling constant A = 25.038(5) MHz and the electric-quadrupole coupling constant B = 26.011(22) MHz. These values are a significant improvement over previous results.PACS numbers: 32.10.Fn,42.55.Px,42.62.Fi The use of tunable diode lasers has revolutionized the field of atomic physics [1] and particularly laser spectroscopy. The D-lines of most alkali atoms can be conveniently accessed using diode lasers. Therefore, they have been used extensively on alkali atoms as tools for pumpprobe spectroscopy, optical-pumping experiments, quantum optics, and the study of three-level systems. They find widespread use in experiments on laser cooling and Bose-Einstein condensation of alkali atoms. They have also been proposed as potential low-cost alternatives for optical-frequency standards [2]. We have been exploring the use of diode lasers for precise measurements of hyperfine intervals in the excited state of alkali atoms. Precise knowledge of hyperfine intervals provides valuable information about the structure of the nucleus (nuclear deformation) and its influence on atomic wavefunctions [3,4]. The exact knowledge of atomic wavefunctions is particularly important in alkali atoms because of their use in experiments such as atomic signatures of parity violation [5].

Precise measurement of hyperfine structure in the2P1/2state ofLi7Singh1, Muanzuala2, Natarajan3 2010Phys. Rev. A9181View full textAdd to dashboardCite

“…Furthermore, Beloy and Derevianko [4] have pointed out the importance of taking secondorder effects into account when calculating the hyperfine constants from the measured intervals. The largest corrections are for Li, and in the case of 7 Li, the corrections are much larger than the experimental error.…”

“…We have recently reported the most-precise measurements to date of hyperfine intervals (with accuracy of 6 kHz) in the 2P 1/2 state of 6,7 Li [1]. Around the same time, there have been high-accuracy calculations of the hyperfine constants in this state using both the configuration-interaction method [2] and the coupledcluster method [3].…”

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“…We took HFS constants from a range of different sources. For 85 Rb, we adopted values from Nez et al (1993), Rapol et al (2003) and Beacham & Andrew (1971). We used data from Beacham & Andrew also for 87 Rb, as well as from Ye et al (1996) and Bize et al (1999).…”

High-resolution hyperfine spectroscopy of excited states using electromagnetically induced transparency

“…This is already a considerable improvement over previous measurements, but we have not really pushed the limits of accuracy of this technique. For example, we have recently demonstrated a technique for measurement of hyperfine intervals with 20 kHz accuracy using an AOM whose frequency is locked to the hyperfine interval of interest [16]. This will eliminate any potential errors due to nonlinearity of the scan.…”