I. V. Yevseyev

Velocity effects in atomic and molecular collisions: Study by coherent transients

The effect of translational velocity of active atoms and molecules on the properties of photon echo is investigated using the technique of coherent transient processes. A variation in the photon-echo decay with a frequency detuning of the excitation radiation relative to the center of the vibrational-rotational transition 0 ↔ 1 ν3R(4, 3) is observed in a mixture of 13CH3F with atomic buffers. The results are interpreted using the dependence of the echo decay rate on the magnitude of the translational velocity of active particles. The dependence of the relaxation matrix on the direction of the velocity of active atoms results in a new phenomenon of the collision-induced echo, which is investigated at the transition 0 ↔ 1 174Yb in mixtures with atomic buffers.

Depolarizing collision anisotropy and collision echo in ytterbium vapor

A photon echo induced exclusively by collisions of ytterbium atoms with buffer gas atoms has been observed at a 0 ⟷ 1-type1S0(6s2)-3P1(6s6p) 174Yb transition. The polarization properties of a collision echo and the buffer gas density dependence of its intensity agree with theoretical predictions of a model of depolarizing collisions that takes into account the dependence of a relaxation matrix on the velocity of active particles. Thus, direct experimental evidence of the relaxation anisotropy due to depolarizing collisions has been obtained.

Photon echo generated at the transition 0–1 in ytterbium vapor

Photon echo generated at the inter-combination transition (6s2) 1S0 − (6s6p) 3P1 of 174Yb was investigated for pure ytterbium vapor and for its mixtures with atomic buffers. In pure ytterbium vapor, the polarization of photon echoes at this 0–1 transition coincides with the polarization of the second exciting pulse for all combinations of linear and circular polarizations of exciting radiation pulses. Photon echo does not appear either for linear orthogonal or for opposite circular polarizations of exciting pulses in pure ytterbium. In mixtures of ytterbium with atomic buffers (Kr, Xe), collision induced photon echo arises only for exciting pulses of linear orthogonal polarizations, its power is essentially less than that of the ordinary echo generated by pulses with parallel polarizations in the same mixture. Polarization of collision induced echo is linear, and it coincides with polarization of the first exciting pulse. Experimental results agree with calculations, and they confirm that the collision induced photon echo at this transition arises exclusively due to anisotropy of depolarizing collisions.

Coherent transients in gases

A great variety of coherent transient processes in atomic and molecular gases is investigated. The degeneracy with respect to magnetic sublevels, which is typical of working levels of atomic and molecular transitions in gases, leads to new phenomena. In particular, the non-Faraday rotation of the coherent-response polarization vector at the 0 ↔ 1 transition is investigated in the presence of the longitudinal magnetic field in the 174Yb vapor for both photon echo and stimulated photon echo. A specific relaxation channel that involves the depolarizing collisions emerges in a gas due to the degeneracy of working levels. Such collisions are especially important for atoms and are also observed in molecules. The anisotropy of the depolarizing collisions leads to a new phenomenon of the collision photon echo, which is experimentally demonstrated for the 0 ↔ 1 transition in the 174Yb mixtures with atomic buffers. The velocity-dependent relaxation rates are observed for various coherent phenomena in molecular gases. The coherent control of a few coherent transient processes is implemented.

Effect of the translational velocity of active particles on the properties of a photon echo

The photon echo method was used to detect an increase in the relaxation rate in the vibrational-rotational transition of fluoromethane in 13CH3F gas and a 13CH3F-argon mixture upon an increase in the velocity of active particles. For a photon echo in the 0–1 transition in a Yb + Xe mixture, the dependence of the relaxation parameters on the direction of the translational velocity of Yb leads to qualitative changes and a collision photon echo arises.