Laser-based metastable krypton generation
Abstract
We demonstrate the generation of metastable krypton in the long-lived 1s5 state using laser excitation. The atoms are excited through a two-photon absorption process into the 2p6 state using a pulsed optical parametric oscillator laser operating near 215 nm, after which the atoms decay quickly into the metastable state with a branching ratio of 75 %. The interaction dynamics are modeled using density matrix formalism and, by combining this with experimental observations, we are able to calculate photo-ionization and two-photon absorption cross-sections. When compared to traditional approaches to metastable production, this new approach shows great potential for high-density metastable krypton production with minimal heating of the sample. Here, we show metastable production efficiencies of up to 2% per pulse. The new experimental results gained here, when combined with the density matrix model we have developed, suggest that fractional efficiencies up to 30% are possible under optimal conditions.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1805.05669,
title = {Laser-based metastable krypton generation},
author = {M. A. Dakka and G. Tsiminis and P. S. Light and R. D. Glover and C. Perrella and J. Moffatt and N. A. Spooner and R. T. Sang and A. N. Luiten},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1805.05669},
year = {2018}
}
Comments
6 pages (including references), 6 figures, journal submission v2: formatting updated and corrections made, v3: minor corrections, v4: submitted version, v5: accepted version (minor revisions)