• M. Bruvelis
  • J. Ulmanis
  • N.N. Bezuglov
  • K. Miculis
  • C. Andreeva
  • B. Mahrov
  • D. Tretyakov
  • A. Ekers
We revisit transit time broadening for one of the typical experiment designs in molecular spectroscopy, that of a collimated supersonic beam of particles crossing a focused Gaussian laser beam. In particular, we consider a Doppler-free arrangement of a collimated supersonic beam of Na2 molecules crossing two counterpropagating laser beams that excite a two-photon transition in a three-level ladder scheme. We propose an analytical two-level model with a virtual intermediate level to show that the excitation line shape is described by a Voigt profile and provide the validity range of this model with respect to significant experimental parameters. The model also shows that line broadening due to the curvature of laser field wave fronts on the particle beam path is exactly compensated by increased transit time of particles farther away from the beam axis, such that the broadening is determined solely by the size of the laser beam waist. The analytical model is validated by comparing it with numerical simulations
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)012501_1-9
JournalPhysical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Volume86
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012

    Research areas

  • three-level ladder scheme, Gaussian laser beams, excitation fluorescence, transit time broadening

ID: 5354368