Time-resolved fluorescence and population measurements in laser-pumped barium vapour

Time-resolved measurements of fluorescence and level populations have been made on barium vapour illuminated by an intense pulse of laser radiation (1 MW cm -2 , 50 ns FWHM) tuned to the resonance transition of Ba I, 6s 2 1 S 0 -6s6p 1 P 1 , at 5535 AA. Barium number densities between 10 13 -10 15 cm -3 were investigated, using a buffer gas of helium at 100 Torr. Fluorescence was measured with two different geometrical arrangements, one allowing partial spatial resolution. In neither case did the observed fluorescence saturate with increasing laser power, although the maximum flux was more than sufficient to burn through the vapour column, as confirmed by transmission measurements. The power loss from the laser beam was found to be compatible with the scattered radiation from the pumped column in the absence of radiation trapping. In contrast to other similar experiments, no significant ionisation was detected (<5%). Time-resolved population measurements by anomalous dispersion on the 6s6p 3 P 2 and 6s5d 1 D 2 metastable levels yielded quenching cross sections for both Ba-Ba and Ba-He collisions, but gave anomalous result for the peak populations. A qualitative explanation of the fluorescence anomaly is proposed on the basis of the AC Stark effect, and it is shown that the same effect can inhibit the onset of stimulated emission to the metastable D levels.