Two-photon spectroscopy of atoms and molecules.

M. P. McCann, C. H. Chen, Marvin G. Payne

Research output: Contribution to book or proceedingConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

The advantages of two-photon spectroscopy are discussed, and a study showing that it can utilize a very weak light source (105-106 photons) with nearly unit efficiency and yield useful spectroscopic information is reported. The third harmonic (355 nm) from a Nd:YAG laser is used to pump a dye laser and simultaneously produce coherent vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV) at a fixed wavelength of 118 nm in a generation cell. The dye laser is tuned to the appropriate wavelength to excite the species of interest in a detection cell. The excited species is subsequently ionized, and the ejected electron is detected by parallel plates. The laser schemes for VUV generation in xenon and (2 + 1) ionization of molecular hydrogen are shown. As the ionization step involves only one photon, this process can be easily ionized so that the signal is directly proportional to the two-photon absorption rate. The two-photon absorption rate constants and the in vacuo transition energies as well as spectra of argon and hydrogen are presented. The results agree well with other published results.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCLEO 88 Conf Lasers Electro Opt 1988 Tech Dig Ser Vol 7
PublisherPubl by IEEE
Pages318, 319
ISBN (Print)155752033X
StatePublished - 1988

Publication series

NameCLEO 88 Conf Lasers Electro Opt 1988 Tech Dig Ser Vol 7

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