Temperature dependence of Doppler-broadening in rubidium: An undergraduate experiment

This paper describes experiments performed by undergraduate physics majors to measure the temperature dependence of Doppler-broadening in Rb absorption lines over the interval 290-500 K. We report measurements made with a laser-diode spectrometer on the resolved hyperfine transitions of Rb-87 (5 S-2(1/2) F = 1 to 5 P-2(1/2), F = 1 and 2) near 795 nm, and on the unresolved envelope of the transitions of Rb-85 (5 S-2(1/2) F = 2 to 5 P-2(3/2), F = 1, 2 and 3) near 780 nm. Agreement between measured and predicted linewidths is very good. (C) 1997 American Association of Physics Teachers.