THEORY OF COLLISIONAL TRANSFER BETWEEN ORIENTATION AND ALIGNMENT OF ATOMS EXCITED BY A SINGLE-MODE LASER

Theoretical study is made of the transfer between orientation and alignment of excited-state atoms by anisotropic collisions with ground-state atoms. The anisotropy considered is due to the anisotropic velocity distribution of atoms excited by a single-mode laser beam. The transfer rate and relaxation rates for each multipole moment are calculated for the excited state with J=1 as a function of detuning of the laser frequency from the center of an absorption line and mass of perturbing ground-state atoms. Experiments to observe the transfer from alignment to orientation and from orientation to alignment in a weak magnetic field are considered, and corresponding signals are analyzed in terms of the transfer and relaxation rates. © 1979 The American Physical Society.