Ultranarrowband Tunable Dye Laser for New Approaches to Atomic Spectroscopy.

Abstract : This report contains 4 parts: (1) A status report on the development and refinement of a narrowband, yet powerful pulsed dye laser system. (2) A summary of an experiment in atomic hydrogen, using both Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy and high resolution saturation spectroscopy. The Lyman-alpha isotope shift and the ground state Lamb shift were accurately measured for the first time. (3) A report on high resolution two-photon spectroscopy of several bands of normal and deuterated benzene vapor. Complex rotational contours were resolved and permit a detailed comparison with model computations. (4) A report on the effective two-photon excitation of high lying 1S and 1D states in mercury vapor with a frequency doubled dye laser. Doppler-free spectra with resolved isotopic hyperfine components were recorded, and the previously unknown lifetimes of several states have been measured. Quantum beats and Hanle signals have, for the first time, been observed following two-photon excitation. The report includes on reprint Powerful Dye Laser Oscillator-Amplifier System for High Resolution Spectroscopy by R. Wallenstein and T. W. Hansch, and one reprint Hydrogen 1S-2S Isotope Shift and 1S Lamb Shift Measured by Laser Spectroscopy by S. A. Lee, R. Wallenstein, and T. W. Hansch. (Author)