Direct Observation of the Momentun-Density Profile of Excited and Oriented Sodium Atoms

The noncoplanar symmetric (e,2e> cross section is obtained for sodium atoms pumped by ${\mathrm{\sigma }}^{+}$ laser light tuned to the ${3\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}^2$(F=2)↔${3\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}^2$(F′=3) transition. The excited pumped atoms are in ${\mathrm{them}}_{\mathrm{F}\prime }$=3 state, or in terms of orbital momentum in the ${\mathrm{m}}_{\mathrm{l}}$=+1 state. The coordinate frame is chosen so that the momentum density of the excited state is probed in the ${\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{x}}$ direction with ${\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{z}}$ and ${\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{y}}$ being fixed and essentially zero. The results are in excellent agreement with the momentum-density profile given by the 3p(${\mathrm{m}}_{\mathrm{l}}$=1) Hartree-Fock wave function. © 1990 The American Physical Society