Continuous‐wave source of highly excited atoms using Doppler‐tuned ir laser radiation

A 10‐keV atomic beam source of hydrogen atoms in the n=44 or other selected state was based upon charge exchange production of the n=10 state followed by Doppler‐tuned cw CO2 laser excitation to the desired highly excited state. In present operation the output atom flux of the source is 2.5×105 sec−1, a value that can be increased by as much as 105. The technique can be extended to considerably higher and lower atom energies, to a wide range of atom quantum numbers, and to atoms other than hydrogen.