Light-induced drift of neon under optical excitation from a metastable state

A running light wave, resonant with the neon transition 1s₅-2p₂, has been found out to affect the spatial distribution of neon atoms in a positive discharge column. The effect has shown an antisymmetric dependence (typical of the light-induced drift) on the tuning out of the radiation frequency relatively the absorption line centre, as well as on the direction of the light wave vector.