The collision cross sections for the fine-structure mixing of caesium 6P levels induced by collisions with potassium atoms

The cross section for the fine-structure excitation transfer Cs(6P _1/2) → Cs(6P _3/2), induced by collisions with the ground state potassium atoms, has been measured by resonant Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy. The population densities of caesium 6P _J (J=1/2, 3/2) levels were probed by thermionic detection of the collisionally ionized caesium atoms from the Cs(6P _J ) → Cs(10S _1/2) excitation channel. The cross section for the transfer process at the temperatureT=503 K has been found to be σ(1/2 → 3/2)=45 Ų ± 20%. The result is compared with previously published experimental cross sections for fine-structure transfer in resonance states of other alkali elements perturbed by potassium and a thoeretical value of the Li(2P _J )-K system calculated in a simple approach.