Precision Measurement of the Rydberg Constant by Laser Saturation Spectroscopy of the Balmer <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi>α</mi></math></span> Line in Hydrogen and Deuterium

T. W. Hänsch; M. H. Nayfeh; S. A. Lee; S. M. Curry; I. S. Shahin

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.32.1336

Precision Measurement of the Rydberg Constant by Laser Saturation Spectroscopy of the Balmer $α$ Line in Hydrogen and Deuterium

T. W. Hänsch, M. H. Nayfeh, S. A. Lee, S. M. Curry, and I. S. Shahin

Phys. Rev. Lett. 32, 1336 – Published 17 June 1974

Abstract

We have determined a new Rydberg value, $R_{\infty} = 109737.3143 (10)$ ${cm}^{- 1}$ , with an order of magnitude improvement in precision, by measuring the absolute wavelengths of resolved fine-structure components of the Balmer $α$ line in hydrogen and deuterium, excited in a dc gas discharge. Doppler broadening was eliminated by saturation spectroscopy with a pulsed dye laser. An iodine-stabilized He-Ne laser was the wavelength standard. Possible sources of systematic errors have been carefully investigated.

Received 8 April 1974

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.32.1336

Authors & Affiliations

T. W. Hänsch^*, M. H. Nayfeh, S. A. Lee, S. M. Curry^†, and I. S. Shahin^‡

Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

^*Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, 1973-1975.
^†Present address: Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Tex. 75230.
^‡Present address: Department of Physics, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.