DIRECT FORMATION OF A STATE-SELECTED EXCITED-STATE OF FE ATOMS BY MULTIPHOTON DISSOCIATION OF FE(CO)(5) AT ATOMIC TRANSITION FREQUENCIES

When an unfocused laser beam with narrow linewidth whose frequency mat ches exactly an atomic transition line of the Fe atom was passed throu gh a gas mixture containing Fe(CO)(5), atomic emissions from the state -selected excited state of Fe atoms were observed. The power dependenc e of the emission intensities as well as excitation and fluorescence s pectra suggested that the state-selected excited state Fe atoms are ge nerated by one-photon absorption of the ground state Fe atoms formed b y two-photon dissociation of Fe(CO)(5) within a single laser pulse.