Efficient and selective population of high vibrational levels by stimulated near resonance Raman scattering

Abstract

We report the successful application of an optically pumped molecular beam laser for efficient and selective population transfer from v″=0 to high lying vibrational levels of Na2 in the electronic ground state. More than 50% of the molecules in a thermally populated rotational level of v″=0 can be transferred to a state v″≫1 with typically ≥75% of the molecules excited out of the initial state found in the predetermined end vibrational level and approximately ≤25% distributed over other levels according to the Franck–Condon factors. The applicability of this technique to the study of collision processes involving vibrationally highly excited levels is discussed. This work also contributes in general to a better understanding of optically pumped dimer lasers.