Precision Measurements of Fine Structure Intervals of Helium

1 January 1989

journal article
Published by IOP Publishing in Physica Scripta

Vol. T26, 34-41
https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-8949/1989/t26/006

Abstract

After surveying measurements of fine structure (fs) intervals of excited helium atoms, I discuss some new experiments in more detail, where extensive use has been made of the strong polarizability of these atoms in external electric fields. Using rf electric fields, resonance transitions between the substates of 1s nl multiplets with l ≥ 2 could be induced, and the first measurements of the fs intervals of the 1s4f configuration became possible. Using static electric fields of several kV/cm, singlet and triplet 1s nd states can be strongly mixed at various anticrossings. These anticrossings provide an opportunity for precision measurements of the 1s2s ¹S-³S fs separation. In view of the dramatic improvements recently made in solving the non-relativistic Schrödinger equation of two-electron systems, the helium atom may evolve as a new testing ground for basic problems in atomic physics.

Keywords

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