Atoms and ions in superfluid helium

Optical spectra of atomic impurities in liquid helium have been investigated. Comparison is made between the wavelength of the free atomic and ionic lines and those in the liquid helium matrix. Simultaneously, the line width and a possible asymmetry is recorded. Presence and absence of radiative transitions depend on the species of the atom implanted in the quantum fluid. The absence of any optical transitions from states lying as low as 1,8 eV below the ionization limit will be explained in this paper.     

Lifetime of metastable magnesium atoms in superfluid helium

The metastable 3s3p³P_{0, 1, 2} states of the magnesium atom immersed into superfluid helium have been investigated. Absorption-fluorescence measurements were carried out to monitor the population of the³P₀,³P₁ and³P₂ level as a function of time. The population of these levels was found to decrease exponentially with a constant of =15±2 ms. This is about three times as long as the vacuum lifetime of the³P₁ level. In the resonant excitation band of the 3s3p³P states to the 3s4s³S state a blueshift of 70 nm compared to the emission and a large broadening were detected. The³P₂ and³P₀ states are not at all metastable any more. Additionally the weak intercombination transition of the³P₁ state to the¹S₀ ground state was investigated by monitoring this emission line as a function of time and of wavelength. The experiments resulted in the same exponential decay time as the excitation measurement. This outcome indicates a rather effective fine structure mixing of the considered Mg states in superfluid helium. Moreover, this raises the question whether common atomic quantum numbers are conserved and the selection rules are still valid.     

Spectroscopy and dynamics of neutral atoms in superfluid helium

Optical spectra and radiative lifetimes of neutral atoms in superfluid helium have been studied. The absorption and emission spectra of Ag, Mg, Yb, Al, Ga, and In were found to exhibit shifts and broadening typical of atoms residing in microscopic He bubbles, showing that this type of trapping is fairly general. The radiative lifetimes measured for these atoms are close to the free space values, indicating that the surrounding bubble hardly perturbs the electronic orbitals during photo emission. One exception observed in Sr is discussed, where competing autoionization substantially decreases the lifetime of a high excited triplet state. A transient non-bubble state with sharp, free atom like spectra is seen during the first few s after dispersion for many atomic species. The dynamics of this state are unusual, with for example very short radiative lifetimes measured for light alkali atoms.     

Optical properties of impurity atoms in pressurized superfluid helium

We report on the optical properties of alkali atoms (Cs and Rb) in the pressurized superfluid helium. We observed excitation and emission spectra at various pressures from the saturated vapor pressure to about 25 atm. The theoretical calculations on the basis of the atomic bubble model have also been worked out. The qualitative agreement between the theoretical and experimental results with respect to the peak shift, the linewidth, and their pressure dependence is achieved in the framework of the spherical atomic bubble model. TheD ₂ excitation spectra with the double peaks are interpreted qualitatively in terms of the Jahn-Teller effect, indicating the existence of the nontotally symmetrical density distribution of the surrounding helium atoms.     

Pressure dependence of the Mg transition in superfluid He

The pressure shifts of the 3s4s³S P_0,1,2 transition of magnesium atoms immersed in superfluid helium have been measured at K between saturated vapour pressure and 24 bar. The wavelength is blue shifted linearly by . This value can be satisfactorily described in the framework of the standard bubble model. Received 18 February 2000     

Spectroscopic studies on Yb+ ions in liquid helium

An emission spectrum of the - (D1) transition and excitation spectra of the - (J=1/2 (D1) and 3/2 (D2)) transitions of Yb⁺ ions in liquid helium have been observed by means of a laser-induced fluorescence method. It has been found that all these spectra are blue-shifted from the ones in the free space, and also that the D2 excitation spectrum has double peaks. To understand these spectra, theoretical calculations have also been carried out based on a vibrating bubble model, in which the bubble surface is assumed to vibrate in the spherical (breathing), dipolar and quadrupolar modes. As a result, it has been found that the blue shifts are well understood with this bubble model, and also that the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect due to the quadrupole vibration of the bubble plays an important role for the double-peaked profile of the D2 excitation spectrum. Received 27 December 1999 and Received in final form 31 July 2000     

Optical emission spectroscopic studies on laser ablated TiO2 plasma

Optical emission spectroscopic investigations of the plasma produced during Nd:YAG laser ablation of sintered TiO₂ targets, in oxygen and argon gas environments are reported. The spatial variations of electron temperature (T_e) and electron number density (N_e) are studied. The effect of oxygen/argon pressure on electron temperature (T_e) and electron number density (N_e) is presented. The kinematics of the emitted particles and expansion of plume edge are discussed. Spatio-temporal variations of various species in TiO₂ plasma were recorded and corresponding velocities were calculated. The effect of oxygen pressure on intensity of neutral/ion species and their corresponding velocities is also reported.     

Low-frequency stimulated emission and induced absorption in a three-level atom

Investigations of the motion of conventional negative ions (electron bubbles) in He II under pressures above 11 bar have provided the only means of measuring the Landau critical velocity for roton creation,v _L, and for studying supercritical dissipation at higher velocities. Earlier work on roton creation is reviewed and it is pointed out that there is still no generally agreed explanation of the fact that the rotons seem to be emitted from the moving ionin pairs; nor is it known why the matrix element characterising the pair emission process should decrease rapidly with pressure. The possibility of studying these phenomena through use either of the fast ion (whose nature remains unknown), or of selected ions from the large variety of species that can be injected into He II by the recently developed technique of laser ablation, is discussed.     

Static and dynamical distortions of helium clusters

We examine the effects of impurities (doping) and rotational excitation on the structural and energetic properties of helium clusters. Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) techniques are used to study ground and rotationally excited states of pure and doped clusters. We use exponentially correlated wave functions and treat the molecular impurities as rigid. Whereas pure He_N show essentially monotonic decay of density from a central maximum value, addition of impurities induces local ordering of He to an extent dependent on the impurity-He binding. Rotational excitation of He_N gives rise to extremely large centrifugal distortions. The location of impurities also appears to change upon rotational excitation. The implications of these distortions on impurity spectra are discussed for SF₆He_N, and compared to recent experimental results.     

Laser-induced-fluorescence characteristics of a helium arcjet flow

Laser-induced fluorescence is used to characterize the axial velocity and temperature field at the exit plane of a low-power helium arcjet. Two cases were examined, one in which the mass-flow rate was changed at a constant current, and the other where the current was changed at a constant mass-flow rate. At constant mass-flow rate, the velocity scales with the increase in power. At constant current, a higher specific energy results in an unexpected lower mean exit velocity. The temperature profiles show that the nozzle-wall temperature is greater than the mean exit temperature. Along the axis of the arcjet, these measurements indicate the presence of a shock less than one nozzle diameter downstream of the exit. Received: 10 July 2002 / Published online: 22 November 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-650-723-1748, E-mail: qwalker@stanford.edu     

Atoms and ions in superfluid helium

Optical spectra, level population and nonradiative deexcitation processes of atomic impurities in liquid helium have been investigated. The recombination of electrons and positive metal ions are described by the tunneling model. This model explains the population gap of 1.8 eV below the ionisation limit which was observed for several neutral defect atoms in liquid helium. In the framework of a pseudopotential theory excited singlet levels of Ba, Ca and Na atoms are recalculated and compared to experimental data. Non-spherical atomic defects for excited p-states are treated also. Quadrupole vibrations of these distorted defect structures are assumed to be responsible for inducing multiphonon transitions between excited atomic states.     

Sublevel spectroscopy of alkali atoms in superfluid helium

We report the results of optical pumping and optical detection of magnetic resonance of alkali atoms (Cs and Rb) in superfluid helium. The magnetic resonances between the ground-state Zeeman sublevels and hyperfine levels are observed through monitoring theD ₁ fluorescence by means of the optical-rf double resonance technique. Although the ground stateg values in superfluid helium are the same as in vacuum within the experimental error, the hyperfine constant of the ground state of the Cs atom in superfluid helium is found to be slightly larger than in vacuum. Coherent transient spectroscopy is also performed.     

Quantum transmission of atoms through a slab of superfluid helium

We describe a measurement of the transmission probability of 4He atoms through a freely suspended slab of superfluid 4He at low temperatures. In our experiment the slab is realized by using an array of parallel cylindrical holes of diameter 51 microm in a glass disc of thickness 190 microm. By controlling the chemical potential, the holes can be made to fill or empty with liquid, and the surface curvature varied. We have measured the transmission of atom beams, generated by a thin-film heater and detected with a sensitive bolometer, through this structure. The results show that the dominant transmission channel is atom-R+ roton-atom with a probability p approximately 0.12 and that R+ rotons can undergo total internal reflection at the free liquid surfaces.     

Quantum-mechanical vs. semi-classical spectral-line widths and shifts from the line core in the non-impact region for the Ar-perturbed/ K-radiator system

New quantum-mechanical (QM) and semi-classical (SC) shifts (d's) and widths (HWHM's, w's) were measured from the line core of computed full spectral-line shapes for the Ar-perturbed/K-radiator system (K/Ar). The initial state of our model was based on a 4p²P_3/2,1/2 pseudo-potential for the K/Ar system, and the final state on a zero potential. The Fourier transform of the line shape formed the basis for the computations. Excellent agreement was found between the QM and SC values of d and of w in a high-pressure (P) non-impact region, which was characterized by a √P dependence of w and a P dependence of d. These agreements were shown to be another example of a correspondence between classical (SC) quantities and QM quantities in the limit of large quantum numbers. Typically at P=1×10⁶ Torr and T=400 K, w_QM=448 cm⁻¹ and w_SC=479 cm⁻¹, where the deviation from the mean is ±3.3%. Also, d_QM=−3815 cm⁻¹ and d_SC=−3716 cm⁻¹, where the deviation from the mean is ±1.3%. A new general method was formulated which yielded a definite pressure P₀, which was defined as an upper limit to the low-pressure impact approximation and a lower limit to the non-impact region.     

Ions and atoms in superfluid helium (4He)

We review the previous conclusion [J.Y. Ryu, Y.C. Chung and S.D. Choi, Phys. Rev. B 32, 7769 (1984)] that the trace property Tr(ABC) = Tr(CAB) leads to two different cyclotron transition absorption formulae in the electron-phonon systems in the lowest order approximation. The pictorial expression and the calculated linewidths in Ge and Si show that the socalled EWC scheme is more seeming than the socalled MWC scheme. The difference is expected to disappear if we take into account all the higher order perturbation terms or start with the many body formalism in the complete scheme.     

Ions and atoms in superfluid helium (4He)

New experimental results for mobilities in superfluid helium of the alkali earth ions Be⁺, Mg⁺, Ca⁺, Sr⁺ and Ba⁺ in the temperature region from 1.27 up to 1.66 K are reported. Surprisingly, the temperature dependence of the Be⁺ ion mobility, measured here for the first time, is more similar to that of the He⁺ ion than to the heavier alkali earth ions. This behavior may suggest a snowball like structure for the defect around Be⁺ in contrast to the bubble like defects around the heavier alkali earth ions.     

The binding of alkali atoms to the surfaces of liquid helium and hydrogen

Alkali atoms have been shown previously to have only unstable binding states inside liquid⁴He. We calculate the equilibrium configurations and binding energies of single alkali atoms near the liquid-vapor interface of⁴He and³He. A simple interface model is used to predict the surface deformation due to the presence of the atoms. A more realistic density functional model yields somewhat higher energies in the case of⁴He. For all alkali atoms, we find the surface binding energies to be around 10 to 20 K. A similar analysis with atom-H₂ interactions finds that alkali atoms tend to submerge into liquid H₂, with the exception of Li.     

Laser spectroscopy and optical pumping of alkali atoms in superfluid helium

In this paper, our recent works on the alkali atoms in superfluid helim (HeII) are reported. At first we mentions the laser-sputtering method for implantation, which is simple but is very efficient to produce various kinds of neutral atoms and molecules in HeII. Secondly, we report on the laser spectroscopy of alkali atoms in HeII. Optical excitation and emission spectra are found to be roughly explained by a spherical atomic bubble model, but the spectra corresponding to the D₂ lines indicate the quadrupole oscillation of the bubble shape. Optical pumping by a circularly polarized laser beam is found to produce perfect polarization, for both electron and nuclear spins. Using the rf-optical double resonance techniques, the magnetic and hyperfine resonances are observed. It is discussed also about the phenomena which have observed in the experiments done so far but have not been fully explained.