Measurement of the 87Rb[5P32(F′=3)‎−5S12(F=2)‎] Effective Nonradiative Relaxation Rate near a Metallic Film

Abstract EN

We have studied the effective nonradiative relaxation rate of the hyperfine level 87Rb[5P3/2(F′=3)] near a metallic film with diode laser-induced retrofluorescence spectroscopy and saturated-absorption spectroscopy technique.

The glass-vapor interface is considered as two distinct regions, a wavelength-thickness vapor layer joined to the surface and a more remote vapor region.

The total experimental retrofluorescence signal Sob(νL) is the summation of the signal originating from the far-field region ST(νL) and the signal originating from the near-field region sn(νL).

Considering the thermalization of 87Rb(5P3/2) atoms in the far-field region, we can approximate ST(νL) by using the vertical fluorescence signal near the entrance window.

Thus we get the experimental hyperfine signal profile of 87Rb in the near-field region.

The value of the effective nonradiative transfer rate AF′=3→F=2nf=2.3×108s−1 near the metallic film is relatively large compared to the spontaneous emission rate AF′=3→F=2=1.1×107s−1