The cesium 62P3/2 to 82S1/2 line shape broadened by He, Ar, and Kr

•Observed broadening and shift rates for the Cs line shape with He, Ar, and Kr.•Observed rates are approximately 4–6 times larger than for the D1 line.•A red satellite is observed at 12 cm−1 for Kr. Pump modulated laser absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the cesium 62P3/2⟶82S1/2 line shape collisionally broadened by He, Ar, and Kr. The 62P3/2 state was prepared by pumping the D2 transition while a probe laser was simultaneously tuned across the 82S1/2 transition. Results were fitted to a summation of Voigt line shapes, simulating the hyperfine splitting, and broadening and shift rates were deduced. The collisional broadening rates, γ, for He, Ar, and Kr are 119 ± 2, 84 ± 12, and 77 ± 7 MHz/Torr and the pressure induced shift rates, δ, are +31.6±0.2,−19.6±0.5 and −17.3±0.5 MHz/Torr respectively. These rates suggest very shallow wells ( 25Å) in the potential difference curves for Ar and Kr, while the He curve is entirely repulsive. Collision probabilities scale linearly with dipole polarizability. Non-Lorentzian features are readily observed in the far wings at pressures greater than 600 Torr.