Light-induced drift dynamics in an optically thin regime: Monochromatic and broadband laser excitations

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Abstract
Light-induced drift (LID) dynamics are studied in uncoated and silane-coated capillaries containing sodium and a few torr of neon or krypton. The adopted coating reduces the adsorption energy of the atoms at the surface of the cell by permitting the observation of wall frictionless LID. Moreover, it can be heated up to 200 °C, making it possible to work with saturated vapor over a wide range of densities. A measurement method of the drift velocity is proposed for the optically thin regime, and its dependence on the laser linewidth is observed using both a single-mode and a broadband laser. Drift velocities of up to 30 m/s are measured in a cell containing 6 Torr of krypton under broadband excitation.