Abstract
We report the observation of doubly excited autoionizing Rydberg states of Sr, belonging to the configuration , . Our procedure involves a three-step optical excitation process which incorporates Stark switching to reach higher states not normally accessible because of dipole selection rules. Quantum defects are reported for several , and , states. The lifetimes of the , states are shown to scale as , and the lifetimes of the , states are shown to increase dramatically with increasing .
- Received 11 October 1977
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.178
©1978 American Physical Society