Experimental Studies of a Diamagnetic Multiplet in Odd Rydberg States of Lithium

Abstract

The energy-level structure for $M_L=0\mathrm{}$ odd Rydberg states of lithium in a uniform magnetic field has been investigated experimentally. The whole structure of a diamagnetic multiplet excited from the ground state by $\pi$-polarized light has been recorded for the first time. Each multiplet is shown to exhibit two different behaviors; this provides an experimental confirmation for the existence of the two limiting approximate symmetries previously predicted for the diamagnetic Hamiltonian of atomic hydrogen. Furthermore, the observed spectra agree with diagonalization calculations.