Spectroscopy of the atom-wall interactions in a nanocell

The optical spectroscopy of rubidium atoms confined to a nanocell was employed to study the quenching and energy transfer processes in the course of atom-wall collisions. The distance between the sapphire windows of the cell varies between 150 and 500 nm forming a vapour wedge. At moderate pressures, the frequency of the atom-wall collisions greatly exceeds the frequency of atom-atom collisions. Hence, the line shapes and intensities recorded in a nanocell provide valuable information about interactions of excited atoms with the surface of the window material.