Transmission measurements of multiple photon absorption in SF_6

Abstract

Measurements of the average number of photons absorbed by SF6 from unfocused CO2 laser pulses are reported as a function of integrated intensity, pressure, and laser wavelength. Measurements extend from very low excitations to well above the dissociation threshold. The importance of anharmonic splittings, which are mixed extremely rapidly by collisions, is emphasized by the pressure and wavelength dependences.