Time-resolved spectroscopic studies of the 7p ² P states of neutral silver following VUV excitation

Abstract

The radiative lifetimes of the 7p ² P _{3/2, 1/2} states of silver and the hyperfine structure of the 7p ² P _3/2 state have been measured using pulsed laser excitation and direct observation of the induced fluorescence light decay. In order to excite this doublet, VUV radiation at 185 nm was applied, as generated by frequency tripling and anti-Stokes Raman shifting of the output of a Nd: YAG laser pumped dye laser. The lifetimes were found to be τ=255(20) ns and τ=285(25) ns for theJ=3/2 state andJ=1/2 state, respectively. The hyperfine structure of the 7p ² P _3/2 state was measured by the quantum beat method. The magnetic dipole interaction constant for the¹⁰⁷Ag isotope was found to bea=−4.5(2) MHZ.