Experimental isotope shifts of the 5 $^2S_{1/2}$ state and low-lying excited states of Rb

Abstract

By combining a recent precise measurement of the ionization energy of $^{87}$Rb with previous measurements of electronic and hyperfine structure, an accurate value for the $^{85}\textrm{Rb}-^{87}\textrm{Rb}$ isotope shift of the 5$^2S_{1/2}$ ground state can be determined. In turn, comparison with additional spectroscopic data makes it possible for the first time to evaluate isotope shifts for the low-lying excited states, accurate in most cases to about 1 MHz. In a few cases, the specific mass shift contribution can be determined in addition to the total shift. This information is particularly useful for spectroscopic analysis of transitions to Rydberg states, and for tests of atomic theory.