Experimental investigation of hidden alignment in Ne plasma using linear laser magneto-optical spectroscopy

Summary form only given, as follows. We investigated the hidden alignment of Ne plasma in a magnetic field observing the optical characteristics of the medium-absorption and refraction. A tunable single frequency laser beam was used as a probe beam. Depending on the direction of the applied magnetic field and the geometry of observation, the dependence of the plasma birefringence or dichroism on the magnetic field was registered. The dye laser was tuned to λ=607.4 nm (2p ₃-1s₄ Ne transition). The dependence on the external magnetic field of the laser beam intensity passed through the Ne discharge cell was registered, for various laser frequencies in the limits of the absorption line. At the edge of the absorption line, the signal of the dichroism consists of two Lorentzian components while at the center of the absorption line the wide component is absent. The wide component width depends on neon pressure as: H(P)=(1.64±0.03) gauss + P(torr) (0.33±0.08) gauss/torr. This value is in a good agreement with other results concerning the lifetime of the 1s₄ state. The mechanism of alignment formation in this state is not clear. This state could not be aligned by light absorption following a quantitative calculation. The irradiation of atoms is isotropic within the limits of all the absorption line because of the high magnitude of absorption for the 1s₄-1s₀ transition. We consider the optical pumping as the most probable mechanism for alignment of this state. The magnitude of absorption on the s-p neon transitions are not high. The intensity of the spontaneous emission beam along the tube is greater than in the perpendicular direction. If the quantization axis coincides with the tube axis, this beam empties the magnetic sublevels with M=±1, thus creating longitudinal alignment. The absence of a signal at the center of the absorption line can be explained by the high selfabsorption on the s-p transitions. The width of the narrow component of the signal is approximately 0.7 gauss. Its pressure dependence is small. We have established experimentally the absence of signals of such width in the spontaneous emission from 2p levels. Hence, all optical mechanisms of alignment transmission from higher or from lower states to the 1s₄ state are excluded. Apparently this signal arises from alignment of metastable state 1s₅. In our opinion the collisions are the most probable mechanism of alignment transmission