Abstract

The sensitive detection of ground-state atomic species under nonideal experimental conditions, such as those found in combustion reseach or plasmas, has been a problem for many years. Single-photon detection techniques such as resonance fluorescence are not applicable, since the medium is generally opaque at VUV wavelengths. We describe a new general detection scheme for atomic species based on two-photon excitation using wavelengths that will be transmitted and its application to the detection of oxygen¹ and nitrogen atoms.

© 1981 Optical Society of America