Eur. Phys. J. D 38, 175-184 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00332-1

Orientation of Cs 6p ²P_3/2 atomic photofragments in a magnetic field: interference in the photodissociation of diatomic molecules

Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 3-13 Sakura, Tsukuba, 305-0003, Japan

Corresponding author: ^a kimura.yasuyuki@nims.go.jp

Received: 19 July 2005
Published online: 20 December 2005

Abstract

In a magnetic field, Cs₂ molecules were excited from the ground X¹Σ⁺_g(v_X=0,J_X=55) level to the D ¹Σ⁺_u(v=46,J=54) level by dissociation laser light linearly polarized parallel to the field, for which the magnetic sublevels were degenerated and thus all the transitions between them were simultaneously stimulated. Probe laser light excited the dissociated Cs 6p²P_3/2 atomic fragments to 6p²D_3/2 level and the resultant 6p²P_1/2 - 6d²D_3/2 emission was detected as the function of the wavelength of the probe light. The populations of the 6p²P_3/2,mj magnetic sublevels were determined from the relative strengths of the 6p²P_3/2,mj - 6d²D_3/2,m'j transitions induced by the probe light. Non-zero orientation O₀ was found in the ensemble of dissociated Cs 6p²P_3/2 atomic fragments. The orientation O₀ increased as the magnetic field strength increased. It was demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically that the orientation O₀ was induced through the interference in the excitation and dissociation paths in the presence of an external magnetic field, even when all degenerated transitions between the magnetic sublevels of the molecules are simultaneously excited by the light linearly polarized parallel to the field.