Multi-step laser excitation of the highly excited 5snf 1F3 states of cadmium

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We report excitation energies, term energies and effective quantum numbers n of the 5snf 1F3 Rydberg series of cadmium from n = 14 to 45 using a three-step laser excitation scheme via the 5s5d 1D2 intermediate state. The experiment was performed using three dye lasers simultaneously pumped by the second (532 nm) and third (355 nm) harmonics of a Q-switch Nd: YAG laser in conjunction with an atomic beam setup. A two-parameter fit to the transition energies of the 5snf 1F3 series yields the binding energy of the 5s5d 1D2 level as 13,320.33 ± 0.03 cm−1 and consequently the first ionization potential of cadmium is determined as 72,540.06 ± 0.15 cm−1, which is in good agreement with the previously reported values.