High-resolution two-photon spectroscopy of a 5p56p←5p6 transition of xenon

Abstract

We report high-resolution Doppler-free two-photon excitation spectroscopy of Xe from the ground state to the $5{p}^{5}(^{2}P_{3/2})6p\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{2}[3/2]_{2}$ electronic excited state. This is a first step to developing a comagnetometer using polarized $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms for planned neutron electric dipole moment measurements at TRIUMF. Narrow linewidth radiation at 252.5 nm produced by a continuous wave laser was built up in an optical cavity to excite the two-photon transition, and the near-infrared emission from the $5{p}^{5}6p$ excited state to the $5{p}^{5}6s$ intermediate electronic state was used to detect the two-photon transition. Hyperfine constants and isotope shift parameters were evaluated and compared with previously reported values. In addition, the detected photon count rate was estimated from the observed intensities.