MJMixing in Oriented6P122Cesium Atoms, Induced in Collisions with Noble Gases

Abstract

The cross sections for disorientation of magnetically oriented $6^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ cesium atoms, induced in collisions with noble gases, have been determined using Zeeman-scanning techniques at kilogauss magnetic fields. The ${m}_{J}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}$, ${m}_{I}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{7}{2}$ hyperfine Zeeman substate was populated selectively by irradiating the cesium-vapor-noble-gas mixture with cesium-resonance radiation, and collisional transitions to the ${m}_{J}=+\frac{1}{2}$, ${m}_{I}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{7}{2}$ substate were monitored by measurements of the relative intensities of the ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{+}$ components in resonance fluorescence observed in the direction parallel to the magnetic field. The following cross sections were obtained: Cs-He, 11.8 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$; Cs-Ne, 4.7 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$; Cs-Ar, 10.7 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$; Cs-Kr, 37.9 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$; Cs-Xe, 71.7 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$.