Tune-out wavelengths for the alkaline-earth-metal atoms

Abstract

The lowest three tune-out wavelengths of the four alkaline-earth-metal atoms Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr are determined from tabulations of matrix elements produced from large first-principles calculations. The tune-out wavelengths are located near the wavelengths for the 3P1o and 1P1o excitations. The measurement of the tune-out wavelengths could be used to establish a quantitative relationship between the oscillator strength of the transition leading to existence of the tune-out wavelength and the dynamic polarizability of the atom at the tune-out frequency. The longest tune-out wavelengths for Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Yb are 454.9813, 457.2372, 657.446, 689.200, 788.875, and 553.00 nm, respectively. © 2013 American Physical Society.