Spectral anomalies of the light-induced drift of rubidium atoms caused by the velocity dependence of transport collision frequencies

Abstract

The spectral features of the light-induced drift (LID) velocity for rubidium atoms (85Rb and 87Rb) in an argon buffer medium and in binary buffer mixtures of noble gases (Ne + Ar, Ne + Kr, Ne + Xe, He + Ar, He + Kr, and He + Xe) have been investigated theoretically. A strong temperature dependence of the spectral shape of the LID signal for Rb atoms in an Ar atmosphere is predicted in the temperature range 450 K < T < 800 K. It is shown that the anomalous LID of Rb atoms in binary buffer mixtures of noble gases can be observed at almost any temperature (including the room one) depending on the fractions of neon or helium in these mixtures. The results obtained enable a highly accurate testing of the interatomic interaction potentials used to calculate the drift velocity for anomalous LID in LID experiments.