Rb saturation spectroscopy with an optically narrowed FM diode laser

A fast-frequency modulated (FM) diode laser has been optically narrowed using the technique of resonant optical feedback, to provide linewidths in each FM mode of ≈ 200 kHz peak-to-peak. With a drive frequency of 50 MHz and modulation index of 0.2, the FM laser has been used for the first time to obtain Doppler-free FM spectra of the Rb D₁ line at 795 nm. The potential use of this system for laser frequency stabilisation is discussed.     

New chiral phosphine-phosphite ligands in the enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation

A series of chiral phosphine-phosphite ligands 1-6 have been synthesized and used in the enantioselective palladium-catalyzed reaction of rac-1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate as nucleophile. Ligands 1a, 2, 3, 5a, 6a, and 6b have been synthesized starting from racemic tert-butylphenylphosphinoborane. The use of dynamically resolved Li phosphide (-)-sparteine provided the optically pure ligands. Crystals of the allylpalladium (6a) complex were obtained, suitable for X-ray crystal structure determination. The X-ray crystal structure of the allylpalladium (6a) complex revealed a longer palladium-carbon bond distance trans to the phosphine moiety indicating that the attack of the nucleophile takes place at the carbon trans to the phosphine moiety. This was confirmed by the fact that the phosphine moiety did not affect the enantioselectivity directly. Under mild reaction conditions, enantioselectivities up to 83% were obtained (25 degrees C) with ligand 1e. Systematic variation of the ligand bridge and the phosphite moiety showed that the configuration of the product is controlled by the atropisomerism of the biphenyl substituent at the phosphite moiety. The conformation of the biphenyl group, in turn, is controlled by the substituent at the chiral carbon in the bridge. Ligands with large bite angles yielded higher enantioselectivities.     

Intercalation of Benzamide into Kaolinite

Well-crystallized kaolinite (K) was initially reacted at 60 degrees C with a water/dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) mixture and the resulting intercalation derivative (K-DMSO) was characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), thermal analysis (simultaneous TG and DSC), and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Benzamide crystals were then melted with the K-DMSO derivative at 140 degrees C for 4 days, when a gradual displacement of DMSO by benzamide was observed within the interlayer spacing of the modified kaolinite. The resulting material, after extensive washing with acetone, was characterized and compared to the results obtained previously for the K-DMSO composite. Benzamide intercalation proceeded by gradual displacement of DMSO molecules until completion. The structural stabilization of the K-BZ derivative was explained through the establishment of hydrogen bonds between the carbonyl oxygen atoms of the intercalated benzamide and aluminol groups present at the surface of the kaolinite layer. The interlamellar spacing of K-BZ was shown to be possibly occupied by benzamide molecules that were located at a 68 degrees orientation in relation to the layer surface. Unlike most intercalation molecules such as DMSO, variations in the interplanar spacing of kaolinite were consistent with the nonkeying of any other part of the molecule between the aluminosilicate interlayers. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Progress towards an optical frequency standard based on ion traps

The characteristics of a laser-cooled Mg⁺ ion cloud confined within an electromagnetic Penning trap are reported. Trap resonance frequencies have been measured, and stable cloud oscillations observed under certain conditions. A microwave-optical double-resonance technique has been demonstrated. Ion-cloud temperatures of <100 mK have been measured, for clouds with typical ion numbers of 1000.     

Measurement of the electric quadrupole moment of the 4d2D5/2 level in 88Sr+

The quadrupole moment of the 4d (2)D(5/2) level in 88Sr+ has been measured to be 2.6(3)ea(2)(0), where a(0) is the Bohr radius and e the elementary charge. A single laser-cooled strontium ion was confined in an end cap trap with a variable dc quadrupole potential, and measurements were made on the 5s (2)S(1/2)-4d (2)D(5/2) transition at 674 nm using a femtosecond optical frequency comb. This work shows that measurements of the unperturbed 88Sr+ transition frequency with sub-Hz uncertainty are possible and is important in understanding the reproducibility of ion trap optical frequency standards.     

Studies of trapped strontium ions in low magnetic fields

The effect of weak magnetic fields ( 1 mT) on small clouds and single ions of strontium has been studied. The fluorescence rate and hence the cooling efficiency is sharply reduced for fields of less than around 0.2 mT. The magnetic field also splits the various levels involved through the Zeeman effect. In particular, the² S _1/2–² D _5/2 transition at 674 nm, which is the basis for a potential optical frequency standard, is split into a maximum of 10 components, depending upon the experimental geometry. This is studied for various configurations of the magnetic field and 674 nm laser polarization. The implication for frequency-standards work is that the standard will need to be operated in a small but highly stable field.     

Combined optical-infrared single-ion frequency standard

A combined infrared-optical frequency-standard scheme has been demonstrated with a single ion of ytterbium. The optical (2)S(1/2)-(2)D(5/2) reference transition at 411 nm and the infrared (2)F(7/2)-(2)D(5/2) 3.43-microm transition were driven sequentially. The structure of the infrared (2)F(7/2)-(2)D(5/2) reference transition at 3.43 microm has also been studied. Infrared transition linewidths of 300 kHz were observed. The output of a Nd:YAG laser and an extended-cavity diode laser were difference-frequency mixed in a crystal of AgGaS(2) to produce narrow-linewidth light at 3.43 microm . Both lasers were frequency stabilized to high-finesse reference cavities.     

Interferometric frequency measurements of 130Te2 transitions at 486 nm

Doppler-free spectra of ¹³⁰Te₂ have been investigated in the region of 486 nm, close to the Balmer-β transitions atomic hydrogen and deuterium. The frequency ratios between a 633 nm He-Ne laser stabilized to the 11-5 R(127) “i” transition in ¹²⁷I₂ and two of these ¹³⁰Te₂ Doppler-free components have been measured interferometrically to a precision of 2 parts in 10¹⁰ (one standard deviation). These measured components constitute useful transfer standards for the measurement of absolute frequencies of both the Balmer-β transitions and the 243-nm two-photon 1S-2S transitions in hydrogen and deuterium.     

Effect of viscous dissipation on the mixed convection heat transfer from an exponentially stretching surface

The mixed convection flow and heat transfer from an exponentially stretching vertical surface in a quiescent fluid is analyzed using similarity solution technique. Wall temperature and stretching velocity are assumed to have specific exponential function forms. The influence of buoyancy along with viscous dissipation on the convective transport in the boundary layer region is analyzed in both aiding and opposing flow situations. The flow is governed by the mixed convection parameter Gr/Re². The velocity and temperature inside the boundary layer are observed to be influenced by the parameters like Prandtl number Pr, Gebhart number Gb. Significant changes are observed in non-dimensional skin friction and heat transfer coefficients due to viscous dissipation in the medium. The flow and temperature distributions inside the boundary layer are analyzed and the results for non-dimensional skin friction and heat transfer coefficients are discussed through computer generated plots.     

Molecular iodine laser optically pumped at 521 nm and 531 nm

We report the observation and identification of over 50 new cw laser lines belonging to the B³∏?X¹∑ system of I₂ optically pumped by a single mode krypton ion laser. When pumping at 531 nm, simultaneous oscillation was achieved on up to 16 lines in the range 540 nm to 650 nm. This system offers considerable potential as a multi-wavelength laser source in interferometry.