Abstract

The diatomic alkali-metal molecules, with their simple electronic configuration and the main absorption bands conveniently positioned in the visible region, are particularly attractive from the point of view of both experimentalists and theoreticians. However, high density of lines makes their classical absorption spectra unbearably complex for analysis. Laser spectroscopy methods, with their potentiality of high resolution and simplification of the spectra, are very appropriate to investigate alkali dimers. In the past four years we have successfully applied various versions of the polarization spectroscopy technique to both homo- and heteronuclear alkali molecules.

© 1996 IEEE