Analysis of polarizability measurements made with atom interferometry

TL;DR

This paper refines measurements of alkali metal atomic polarizabilities using atom interferometry, reducing uncertainties and analyzing their relation to atomic transition properties and van der Waals coefficients.

Contribution

It provides more precise polarizability values and interprets these in terms of atomic oscillator strengths, lifetimes, and van der Waals coefficients, enhancing understanding of atomic properties.

Findings

Polarizability uncertainties were significantly reduced.

Measured polarizabilities are consistent with previous results.

Quantified residual contributions to polarizability from non-principal transitions.

Abstract

We present revised measurements of the static electric dipole polarizabilities of K, Rb, and Cs based on atom interferometer experiments presented in [Phys. Rev. A 2015, 92, 052513] but now re-analyzed with new calibrations for the magnitude and geometry of the applied electric field gradient. The resulting polarizability values did not change, but the uncertainties were significantly reduced. Then we interpret several measurements of alkali metal atomic polarizabilities in terms of atomic oscillator strengths $f_{ik}$, Einstein coefficients $A_{ik}$, state lifetimes $\tau_{k}$, transition dipole matrix elements $D_{ik}$, line strengths $S_{ik}$, and van der Waals $C_6$ coefficients. Finally, we combine atom interferometer measurements of polarizabilities with independent measurements of lifetimes and $C_6$ values in order to quantify the residual contribution to polarizability due to all atomic transitions other than the principal $ns$-$np_J$ transitions for alkali metal atoms.