A pulsed source for Xe(6s[3/2](1)) and Xe(6s'[1/2](1)) resonance state atoms using two-photon driven amplified spontaneous emission from the Xe(6p) and Xe(6p') states

A new, simple method for the generation of Xe(6s[3/2](1)) and Xe(6s'[1/2](1)) atoms is described. The method involves resonant two-photon excitation of Xe(6p[1/2](0) and 6p'[3/2](2)) states followed by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) to the Xe(6s[3/2](1) and 6s'[1/2](1)) states. The vacuum ultraviolet transitions, Xe(6s[3/2](1)-->5p(6)(S-1(0))) at 147 nm and Xe(6s'[1/2](1)-->5p(6)(S-1(0))) at 129.6 nm, were used to monitor the time dependence of the resonance state atom concentrations. The quenching rate constants of these resonance atoms with ten molecules were measured at 300 K. The quenching cross-sections of the Xe(6s and 6s') resonance atoms are compared to the cross-sections of the metastable Xe(6s[3/2](2)) atoms and Xe(6p[3/2](2)) atoms. The correlation between quenching cross-sections and photoabsorption cross-section of the molecules predicted by the resonance dipole-dipole energy transfer model is discussed. The applicability of the two-photon driven ASE method for the generation of other resonance state atoms is considered. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.