Efficient population transfer in a multilevel system using diverging laserbeams - art. no. 013406

We investigate a three-step population scheme to efficiently transfer atoms to a particular metastable state of atomic dysprosium. and present evidenc e of adiabatic passage in the first step. This scheme will be employed in a n ongoing search for parity nonconservation (PNC) in dysprosium. In order t o excite a large fraction of the transverse velocity distribution, laser be ams with divergences matched to the atomic beam are applied in the first an d second steps. The total efficiency of the population transfer is analyzed , and the implications for the PNC work an discussed.