Zero- and Nonzero-Nuclear-Spin Isotope Response in Resonantly Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization of Kr nd Xe With Broad Band Lasers

Abstract

The abundance of the ⁸³Kr isotope, determined by ion mass analysis following three photon resonant four photon ionization via the 5s’ [1/2]₁ state with a broadband laser is found to differ from the expected natural value. This effect is discussed in terms of a change of the ionization response due to the decay of coherence in the intermediate state to its hyperfine structure coupling. The nonzero nuclear spin isotopes of Xe have not shown any effect of this type in three different ionization schemes under the present experimental conditions.