Light Scattering Phenomena in Atomic Systems

Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Norfolk VA

Investigators

Abstract

A series of experimental investigations of light scattering will be undertaken. At lower atomic density, or larger detunings from atomic resonance, the polarization and frequency dependence of the scattering cross section will be used to extract data on the dipole transition matrix elements for transitions out of the ground and excited levels of the atoms. Transition matrix elements measured in this way serve as benchmarks for sophisticated atomic structure calculations, and they provide data useful to interpretation of atomic parity violation experiments. At high atomic density, multiple light scattering dominates, and the scattering is macroscopically strong. Investigation of these multiple scattering effects also forms part of the project.