(1) CNR-Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici sez. Messina, Via La Farina 237, 98123 Messina, Italy;(2) INFM, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Via Buonarroti 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Abstract:
We describe the operation of two GaN-based diode lasers for the laser spectroscopy of gallium at 403 nm and 417 nm. Their use in an external cavity configuration has enabled us to investigate of absorption spectroscopy in a gallium hollow cathode. We have analyzed the Doppler-broadened profiles, accounting for hyperfine and isotope structure and extracting both the temperature and density of the neutral atomic sample produced in the glow discharge. We have also built a setup to produce a thermal atomic beam of gallium. By using the GaN-based diode lasers, we have studied the laser-induced fluorescence and hyperfine-resolved spectra of gallium. PACS 42.55.Px; 42.60.-v; 32.30.-r; 03.75.Be
