Measurement of Photoionization Cross-Section for the Excited States of Atoms: A Review

Abstract

A review of experimental studies of the measurement of the photoionization cross-section for the excited states of the alkali atoms, alkaline earth atoms, and rare-gas atoms is presented, with emphasis on using multi-step laser excitation, ionization, and the saturation technique. The dependence of the photoionization cross-section from different intermediate states populated in the first step and ionized in the second step are discussed, including results on the photoionization cross-sections measured above the first ionization threshold. Results based on different polarizations of the exciting and the ionizing dye lasers are also discussed. Examples are provided, illustrating the photoionization cross-sections measured using thermionic diode ion detector, atomic beam apparatus in conjunction with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and DC/RF glow discharge cell as an optogalvanic detection.

Keywords

• photo-absorption
• photoionization cross-sections
• autoionizing resonances
• saturation technique
• optogalvanic
• atomic beam