Excited Atomic Levels Research Articles

High-precision calculation of loosely bound states of LiPs+ and NaPs+

A positronic alkali atom would be the first step to investigate behavior of a positronium(Ps) in an external field from atoms/molecules because the system can be regarded as a simple three-body system using model potentials reflecting electron orbitals of the ion core. In order to precisely determine binding energies and structures of positronic alkali atoms (LiPs+ and NaPs+), we improve the model potential so as to reproduce highly excited atomic energy levels of alkali atoms (Li and Na). The polarization potential included by the model potential is expanded in terms of Gaussian functions to finely determine a short range part of the potential which has been assumed to be a simple form. We find better reproducibility not only of atomic levels of the alkali atoms but also of the dipole polarizability of the core ion than previous works. We construct a model potential between a positron and an ion core based on the model potential between the valence electron and ion core. Binding energies associated with a dissociation of the alkali ion core and positronium, and interparticle distances are recalculated. Our results show slightly deeper bound than other previous studies.

Comparison of excitation mechanisms in the analytical regions of a high-power two-jet plasma

Excitation mechanisms in the analytical regions of a high-power two-jet plasma were investigated. A new plasmatron recently developed was applied in this work. The Boltzmann population of excited levels of Fe atoms and ions was observed in both analytical regions, before and after the jet confluence, as well as in the jet confluence, which proves excitation of atoms and ions by electron impact. The disturbance of local thermodynamic equilibrium in all regions of the plasma flow was deduced on the basis of considerable difference in Fe atomic and ionic excitation temperatures. Such a difference is most likely to be caused by contribution of metastable argon to atom ionization. The region before the jet confluence has the greatest difference in Fe atomic and ionic excitation temperatures and is more non-equilibrium than the region after the confluence due to comparatively low electron and high metastable argon concentrations. Low electron concentration in this region provides lower background emission than in the region after the jet confluence, which leads to better detection limits for the majority of elements.

Energy Exchange Between Laser Pulses in Atomic Medium with a Closed Excitation Contour

In this work we investigate propagation of two laser pulses in the optically dense atomic medium (three-level Λ -system) in the case of a closed excitation contour. The closed excitation contour is created by additional microwave radiation which interacts with the low-frequency transition of the Λ -system. Two cases are considered: when the pulse duration is more and less then lifetime of the excited atomic level. It is shown that the propagation of the pulses depends on the relative phase of the fields. When the relative phase is zero, the pulses energy is absorbed linearly. When the relative phase is π / 2, the pulses exchange energy between each other.

Quantum beat spectroscopy: Stimulated emission probe of hyperfine quantum beats in the atomic Cs8p2P3/2level

Measurements of hyperfine polarization quantum beats are used determine the magnetic dipole (A) and electric quadrupole (B) coupling constants in the excited atomic Cs 8p level. The experimental approach is a novel combination of pulsed optical pumping and time-delayed stimulated emission probing of the excited level. From the measured evolution of the atomic linear polarization degree as a function of probe delay time, we determine the hyperfine coupling constants A = 7.42(6) MHz and B = 0.14(29) MHz.

Plasma chemistry in the free-burning Ar arc

Recent ambitions have been aimed at modelling of a free-burning arc in argon by means of a self-consistent description of the arc plasma and the electrodes avoiding assumptions of equilibrium. As a next step, the present work deals with the impact of the reaction chemistry used in non-equilibrium modelling. A set of reactions accounts for elastic scattering, excitation and de-excitation in collisions with electrons and atoms, step-wise ionization, recombination and spontaneous emission. A simple chemistry model based on the approximation of prompt ionization, a model with an effective excited level, and a model implying higher excited levels of argon atoms are considered. The results obtained show that all three models are capable of predicting the arc characteristics. They deliver values of electric current density, electric conductivity, arc voltage, electron and heavy particle temperature which are close to each another. The simple model can serve as a fast-track evaluation of the arc characteristics, and for sensitive studies of the impact of model parameters. The extended model allows obtaining the populations of individual and effective levels giving rise to important radiative transitions.

Consideration on excitation mechanisms in a high-power two-jet plasma

The study of excitation mechanisms in the region before the jet confluence of a high-power two-jet plasma used for analysis of different powders has been undertaken. Distribution of excited levels of Fe atoms and ions according to the Boltzmann population was found. Measuring Fe atomic and ionic excitation temperatures showed their considerable difference (≈2000–2500K). The effect of argon on line intensities of a wide range of elements was investigated by the experiment with argon covering. A negligible effect of argon covering on line intensities of atoms with ionization energy of <8eV allows one to assume their predominant excitation by electron impact. The argon participation in excitation of atoms having ionization energy of >8eV was revealed. This is likely to be due to Penning ionization by metastable argon followed by ion recombination with an electron and stepwise de-excitations. A more pronounced effect of argon covering was observed for ionic lines of investigated elements with total excitation energy ranging from 11 to 21eV. Penning ionization followed by electron impact is believed to be a probable mechanism for ion excitation. The contribution of metastable argon to excitation processes results in departure from local thermodynamic equilibrium and different atomic and ionic excitation temperatures.

Modeling of non-equilibrium phenomena in expanding flows by means of a collisional-radiative model

The effects of non-equilibrium in a quasi-one-dimensional nozzle flow are investigated by means of a collisional-radiative model. The gas undergoing the expansion is an air plasma and consists of atoms, molecules, and free electrons. In the present analysis, the electronic excited states of atomic and molecular species are treated as separate pseudo-species. Rotational and vibrational energy modes are assumed to be populated according to Boltzmann distributions. The coupling between radiation and gas dynamics is accounted for, in simplified manner, by using escape factors. The flow governing equations for the steady quasi-one-dimensional flow are written in conservative form and discretized in space by means of a finite volume method. Steady-state solutions are obtained by using a fully implicit time integration scheme. The analysis of the evolution of the electronic distribution functions reveals a substantial over-population of the high-lying excited levels of atoms and molecules in correspondence of the nozzle exit. The influence of optical thickness is also studied. The results clearly demonstrate that the radiative transitions, within the optically thin approximation, drastically reduce the over-population of high-lying electronic levels.

Formation of a Single Attosecond Pulse via Interaction of Resonant Radiation with a Strongly Perturbed Atomic Transition

We propose a technique to form a single few-cycle attosecond pulse from vacuum ultraviolet or extreme ultraviolet radiation via resonant interaction with hydrogenlike atoms, irradiated by a high-intensity far-off-resonant laser field. The laser field strongly perturbs excited atomic energy levels via the Stark effect and ionizes atoms from the excited states. We show that an isolated attosecond pulse can be formed using either a short incident femtosecond pulse of the resonant radiation or a steep front edge of the laser field. We propose an experimental realization of a single subfemtosecond pulse formation at 121.6 nm in atomic hydrogen and a single sub-100 as pulse formation at 13.5 nm in Li(2+) plasma.

The coherent control of the spontaneous emission spectrum of a driven atom in photonic crystals with two atomic position-dependent bands

The coherent control of the spontaneous emission spectrum of a driven atom located within photonic crystals with two atomic position-dependent bands is investigated. The driving laser field splits the excited atomic level into a doublet that is further dressed by two bands bonded together with the atomic position in the crystal unit cell. The spontaneous emission spectrum of the atomic transition in free space is discussed. We find that frequency shift and the intensity of the spectrum can be perfectly manipulated by variation of the atomic position and detuning of the laser field. The result perhaps offers us an interesting route towards tunable photonic devices.

Study of the crossing of quasi-energy levels in a four-level system

It was shown previously that in taking into account only dipole transitions, the crossing of quasi-energy levels is possible in the system if any of the transitions forms a closed loop [1]. It followed herefrom that for the analysis of the crossing conditions, it is necessary to consider a system which has at least four levels. In this paper we show that we can uniquely specify which quasi-energy levels cross at the given values of the parameters of the atomic system and radiation field, without solving an algebraic quartic equation. It was found that the most suitable system for the implementation of the crossing is the group of energy levels 5S1/2, 5P1/2, 5P3/2 and 5D3/2 of a rubidium atom. The performed calculations of the laser field intensity and frequency values at which crossing takes place in this system show that they are easily attainable. It turned out that in this system there occur crossing of quasi-energy levels corresponding to the excited atomic levels.

Experimental and theoretical radiative decay rates for highly excited ruthenium atomic levels and the solar abundance of ruthenium

The solar photospheric abundance of ruthenium is revised on the basis of a new set of oscillator strengths derived for Ru I transitions with wavelengths in the spectral range 2250–4710 A. The new abundance value (in the usual logarithmic scale where the solar hydrogen abundance is equal to 12.00), ARu = 1.72 ± 0.10, is in agreement with the most recent meteoritic result, ARu = 1.76 ± 0.03. The accuracy of the transition probabilities, obtained using a relativistic Hartree–Fock model including core-polarization effects, has been assessed by comparing the theoretical lifetimes with previous experimental results. A comparison is also made with new measurements performed in this work by the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy for 10 highly excited odd-parity levels of Ru I.

Spectroscopic Study of an Expanded Argon Microwave (2.45 GHz) Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure in a Helium Environment

In the present work, an argon microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma flame created at the end of a surface-wave-sustained discharge column in a helium environment has been experimentally studied. This is a plasma with new possibilities because under some experimental conditions it expands, being less contracted than the plasma flame created in open air. The new expanded discharge could offer additional advantages for applications in which larger extensions of plasma were required. The expansion phenomenon of this plasma flame was studied under different experimental conditions. In every case, the characteristic parameters of this expanded plasma such as electron density, electron and gas temperatures, or density population of excited atomic levels were measured by using optical emission spectroscopic techniques. From these results, the main advantages of this plasma source were pointed out.

Reexamining blackbody shifts for hydrogenlike ions

We investigate blackbody-induced energy shifts for low-lying levels of atomic systems, with a special emphasis on transitions used in current and planned high-precision experiments on atomic hydrogen and ionized helium. Fine-structure- and Lamb-shift-induced blackbody shifts are found to increase with the square of the nuclear charge number, whereas blackbody shifts due to virtual transitions decrease with increasing nuclear charge as the fourth power of the nuclear charge. We also investigate the decay width acquired by the ground state of atomic hydrogen, due to interaction with blackbody photons. The corresponding width is due to an instability against excitation to higher excited atomic levels, and due to blackbody-induced ionization. These effects limit the lifetime of even the most fundamental, a priori absolutely stable, ``asymptotic'' state of atomic theory, namely, the ground state of atomic hydrogen.

Postcollision interaction upon electron excitation of the 5sns 1 S 0 and 5snd 3 D j levels of the cadmium atom

The optical excitation functions (OEFs) for two series of spectral lines of the Cd atom originating from the 5sns1S0 (n = 6−11) and 5snd3D1, 2, 3 (n = 5 and 6) levels excited by an ultramonoenergetic (ΔE1/2 < 0.05 eV) electron beam with energies exceeding the single ionization threshold are presented. In the energy range from 10.8 to 12.9 eV, the energy dependences of the excitation cross sections of the studied spectral transitions exhibit the effect of postcollision interaction of slow scattered and fast emitted electrons. This process leads to an additional population of the initial levels of the spectral transitions due to the capture of a scattered electron into an excited atomic level. The energies and widths of the electronic decay of autoionizing states are estimated in the classical approach by two methods, namely, by the least squares method and by direct calculation. Calculations are performed using approximate formulas valid for different relations between the postcollision shifts of the OEF maxima and the binding energies of the atomic levels. The terms of the autoionizing atomic states responsible for the maxima observed in the OEFs of the spectral transitions are determined.

Effective Spin Systems in Coupled Microcavities

We show that atoms trapped in microcavities that interact via the exchange of virtual photons can model an anisotropic Heisenberg spin-1/2 lattice in an external magnetic field. All parameters of the effective Hamiltonian can individually be tuned via external lasers. Since the occupations of excited atomic levels and photonic states are strongly suppressed, the effective model is robust against decoherence mechanisms, has a long lifetime, and its implementation is feasible with current experimental technology. The model provides a feasible way to create cluster states in these devices.

Electron-impact excitation of argon: Optical emission cross sections in the range of 300–2500 nm

We present measurements of optical emission cross sections for excitation from the ground state of the Ar atom into over 185 excited atomic and ionic levels. Measurements were made at electron energies of 25, 50, and 100 eV, at a gas pressure of 5 mTorr. Due to radiation trapping of resonance levels, many of the cross sections depend on the target pressure. Detailed pressure dependence for over 50 levels is also provided. The energy dependence of the excitation cross sections for over 175 levels in the energy range of 0–250 eV are provided as fitted parameters for a standard analytical function.

Analytical treatment of W-state preparation in cavity QED in the presence of very weak dissipation

We propose an analytical treatment method of generation of multipartite W-type states with a single-resonant interaction of the atoms with the cavity mode in cavity QED, under the consideration of very weak decay from the excited atomic level and from the cavity mode. By manipulating different coupling strengths between the atoms and the cavity mode, we show how to deterministically produce W states, including the standard W state and the one with arbitrary coefficients. The corresponding analytical expressions are given, indicating that the detrimental influence from the atomic spontaneous emission is three times that from the cavity decay. The experimental feasibility of our scheme is also discussed by using current cavity QED techniques.

Spin polarization and structure of molecular oxygen adsorbed on Fe(1 1 0)

We investigated the structural and magnetic properties of Fe(1 1 0) for molecular oxygen adsorption at room temperature. For the c(2 × 2) and c(3 × 1) superstructures, spin-polarized secondary electron emission (SPSEE) induced by protons and electrons reveals a nearly unchanged polarization compared to clean Fe(1 1 0). An appreciable decrease in polarization is found for the disordered layer of oxygen at a coverage Θ ≈ 1. This decrease is more pronounced for the spin polarization determined by electron capture (EC) to excited atomic He levels after grazing scattering. From a comparison of data obtained by proton-induced SPSEE and spin-polarized EC we conclude that the polarization at the vacuum boundary vanishes for an oxygen coverage Θ ≈ 1 while the polarization in the underlying Fe substrate layers is hardly changed.

Study of the dependence of the radiative properties of high-frequency electrodeless lamps in an Hg-Ar mixture on the pressure of mercury vapor

The radiative characteristics of high-frequency electrodeless lamps in a mixture of mercury and argon have been studied theoretically and experimentally as functions of the cold spot temperature (the pressure of mercury vapor). The intensity of the mercury lines at 404.7, 435.8, and 546.1 nm, corresponding to the triplet transition (73 S 1-63 P 0,1,2) in the visible spectral region, as well as the intensity of the UV resonance line (63 P 1-61 S 0) at 253.7 nm, has been measured. A model describing the physical processes in the discharge plasma and including the kinetics of excited states of mercury and argon atoms has been suggested. The parameters of the discharge plasma and the electromagnetic field have been calculated self-consistently through the numerical solution of the system of equations of electron density and energy balance and population balance of excited levels of argon and mercury atoms, as well as the Maxwell equations. The model developed has allowed us to calculate the intensities of the mercury emission lines at 253.7, 404.7, 435.8, and 546.1 nm and to compare the results with experimental data. The relative intensities of the mercury spectral lines corresponding to the triplet transition 73 S 1-63 P 0,1,2 have been calculated for the first time on the basis of a self-consistent model of the discharge.

Laser-spectroscopic methods for diagnostics of electric fields in plasma (review)

Methods for measuring electric fields in plasma based on laser spectroscopy and the Stark effect on Rydberg atomic levels and rotational levels of polar diatomic molecules are considered. These methods feature high sensitivity and allow measurements of both static and alternating electric fields in plasma with high temporal and spatial resolutions. It is shown that laser-spectroscopic techniques also allow measurements of relatively weak magnetic fields in plasmas of facilities with magnetic plasma confinement. Such measurements can be based on the use of Stark splitting of highly excited energy levels of hydrogen atoms in a Lorentzian electric field, while a decrease in the fluorescent-radiation intensity at the Balmer-α line can serve as a recorded signal.