First pure frequency measurement of an optical transition in atomic hydrogen: better determination of the Rydberg constant

Year: 1993

Authors: Nez F., Plimmer M.D., Bourzeix S., Julien L., Biraben F., Felder R., Millerioux Y., De Natale P.

Autors Affiliation: Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Hertzienne de l’ENS, Laboratoire associéau, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 CNRS URA 18, Paris, 75252, France; Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, Pavillon de Breteuil, Sèvres, 92312, France; Institut National de Métrologie-BNM, 292 rue St., Paris, 75H1, France; Laboratorio Europeo di Spettroscopie Non-Lineari, Largo E. Fermi 2 Arcetri, Firenze, 1-50125, Italy

Abstract: We have performed a pure frequency measurement of the 2S-8S/D two-photon transition in atomic hydrogen. The hydrogen frequencies are compared with the difference of two optical standards, the methane-stabilized He-Ne laser and the iodine-stabilized He-Ne laser. In this way, an optical frequency of atomic hydrogen is directly linked for the first time to the caesium clock without any interferometry. We deduce a new value for the Rydberg constant, R(infinity) = 109 737.315 683 4(24) cm(-1) with an uncertainty of 2.2 parts in 10(11). This value is currently the most precise available.

Journal/Review: EUROPHYSICS LETTERS

Volume: 24 (8)      Pages from: 635  to: 640

KeyWords: high-resolution spectroscopy; lamb shift; 2-photn spectroscopy; 1S-2S transition; states
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/24/8/003

Citations: 46
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