Lifetime measurements of the 5d states of rubidium

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Sheng, D, A Perez Galvan, Orozco, L A
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 25.11.2008
• Subjects: Decay; Fluorescence; Physics - Atomic Physics; Quantum theory; Rubidium
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.0811.4010

We present lifetime measurements of the \(5D_{3/2}\) and \(5D_{5/2}\) states of rubidium using the time correlated single photon counting method. We perform the experiment in a magneto-optical trap of \(^{87}\)Rb atoms using a two-step excitation with the trap laser at 780 nm as the first step. We record the 761.9 nm fluorescence from the decay of the \(5D_{3/2}\) state to the \(5P_{1/2}\) state, and measure the lifetime of the \(5D_{3/2}\) state \(\tau=246.3(1.6)\) ns. We record the 420.2 nm fluorescence from the cascade decay of the \(5D_{5/2}\) state to the \(5S_{1/2}\) state through the \(6P_{3/2}\) state, and extract the lifetime of the \(5D_{5/2}\) state \({\tau}=238.5(2.3)\) ns.