Calculation of alkali-noble gas diffusion cross sections relevant to light-induced drift

Abstract

In a light-induced drift experiment the drift velocity is dependent on the change of the diffusion cross section of a particle upon optical excitation. The authors discuss an approximate method for deriving diffusion cross sections from interaction potentials. The method is used to calculate the diffusion cross section of all alkali-noble gas pairs, the alkali being in the ground state or in the first excited state. Implications for light-induced drift in alkali-noble gas mixtures are discussed.