Measurement of Rb 5P3/2 scalar and tensor polarizabilities in a 1064 nm light field

TL;DR

This paper reports precise spectroscopic measurements of the scalar and tensor polarizabilities of rubidium 5P3/2 using a high-intensity 1064 nm optical lattice and a self-referencing method to reduce calibration errors.

Contribution

It introduces a novel high-intensity measurement technique combined with a self-referencing approach for accurate polarizability determination in rubidium.

Findings

Measured scalar polarizability alpha 0 = -1149 a.u.

Measured tensor polarizability alpha 2 = 563 a.u.

Achieved measurement precision with less than 5% uncertainty.

Abstract

We employ doubly-resonant two-photon excitation into the 74S Rydberg state to spectroscopically measure the dynamic scalar polarizability, alpha 0, and tensor polarizability, alpha 2, of rubidium 5P3/2. To reach the necessary high intensities, we employ a cavity-generated 1064 nm optical-lattice light field, allowing us to obtain intensities near 2x10^11 W/m^2. In the evaluation of the data we use a self-referencing method that renders the polarizability measurement largely free from the intensity calibration of the laser light field. We obtain experimental values alpha 0 =-1149 (pm 2.5 percent) and alpha 2 = 563 (pm 4.2 percent), in atomic units. Methods and results are supported by simulations.