Electron superelastic scattering from states of atomic sodium and rubidium

Abstract

This paper reports on the extension of the electron superelastic scattering technique to three new situations. The first considers scattering from the 32P3/2 level of Na that has been excited by two laser modes tuned, respectively, to the transitions from the two hyperfine states of the 32S1/2 ground level. Both coherent and noncoherent modes are treated in a full quantum electrodynamic model of the laser excitation. Under certain conditions, the time-averaged probability of finding an atom in the 32P3/2 level exceeds 0.5. The second situation is electron superelastic scattering from the 32D5/2 level of Na that has been resonantly excited from the ground level via a resonant intermediate level. With the first observation of superelastically scattered electrons from this higher lying level recently recorded, this paper considers the extension of the quantum electrodynamics (QED) model to describe the optical excitation process. Application of superelastic scattering to the 52S1/2–52P3/2 transition of Rb is the third situation considered. The superelastic scattering formalism is extended to allow for a nonzero spin flip cross section for this transition. The resulting optical pumping terms are calculated using the QED model and the method of their determination for the superelastic scattering experiment described. The experimental design necessary to measure all of the collision parameters for this transition is discussed.