Direct formation of a state-selected excited state of Fe atoms by multiphoton dissociation of Fe(CO)5 at atomic transition frequencies

When an unfocused laser beam with narrow linewidth whose frequency matches exactly and atomic transition line of the Fe atom was passed through a gas mixture containing Fe(CO)5, atomic emissions from the state-selected excited state of Fe atoms were observed. The power dependence of the emission intensities as well as excitation and fluorescence spectra suggested that the state-selected excited state Fe atoms are generated by one-photon absorption of the ground state Fe atoms formed by two-photon dissociation of Fe(CO)5 within a single laser pulse.