Abstract
We measure the lifetime of the cesium $5^2D_{5/2}$ state using a time-resolved single-photon-counting method. We excite atoms in a hot vapor cell via an electric quadrupole transition at a wavelength of $685\,\mathrm{nm}$ and record the fluorescence of a cascade decay at a wavelength of $852\,\mathrm{nm}$. We extract a lifetime of $1353(5)\,\mathrm{ns}$ for the $5^2D_{5/2}$ state, in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction. In particular, the observed lifetime is consistent with the literature values of the polarizabilities of the cesium $6P$ states. Our measurement contributes to resolving a long-standing disagreement between a number of experimental and theoretical results.
Highlights
Alkali-metal atoms, with their simple electronic level structure, provide an ideal test bench for atomic structure theories
One of the most precise low-energy tests of parity nonconservation (PNC) in the electroweak interaction was provided by spectroscopic studies of cesium atoms [1,2]
Those measurements have been performed using S-S transitions, it has been proposed that S-D transitions could be promising candidates to measure PNC effects with an even greater precision [3]
Summary
Alkali-metal atoms, with their simple electronic level structure, provide an ideal test bench for atomic structure theories. Probing alkali-metal atomic properties is, crucial for the study of fundamental symmetries of the standard model. One of the most precise low-energy tests of parity nonconservation (PNC) in the electroweak interaction was provided by spectroscopic studies of cesium atoms [1,2] Those measurements have been performed using S-S transitions, it has been proposed that S-D transitions could be promising candidates to measure PNC effects with an even greater precision [3]. In order to compare the results of such experiments with calculations, precise measurements of cesium atomic properties are needed, such as absolute oscillator strengths of atomic transitions This can be achieved by precisely measuring the lifetimes of cesium D states
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