Measurement of the electric quadrupole amplitude within the 1283-nm 6P(1/2)-6P(3/2) transition in atomic thallium

摘要

We have measured the ratio of the electric quadrupole (E2) to magnetic dipole (M1) transition amplitude within the 6P(1/2)-->6P(3/2) transition in atomic thallium. Defining chi to be this E2 to M1 amplitude ratio, we find that chi = 0.2387(10)(38), where the first error is statistical and the second represents a combined systematic error. In addition to providing a stringent test of theoretical wave-function calculations in thallium, accurate knowledge of this quantity is essential for existing and future measurements of parity nonconserving optical rotation on this same 1283-nm line in thallium. [References: 20]