OBSERVATIONS OF RABI OSCILLATIONS IN THE INFRA-RED ON THE Q(1, 1) TRANSITION OF METHLYL FLUORIDE

Abstract

We shall report on the observation of Rabi oscillations for the $\Delta M = -1$, Q(1, 1) component of the $\upsilon_{3}$ band of methyl fluoride $(CH_{3}F)$ in the $10 \mu m$ spectral region. This coherence phenomenon has been observed in a beam produced by a supersonic expansion. The transition is detected by measuring, with a low temperature bolometer, the energy contents of the molecules in the beam downstream from the laser excitation region. A Stark field is used to shift the transition into resonance with a $CO_{2}$ laser line thereby circumventing the need for a tunable source. This work is preliminary to further observations of multiple excitation region coherence phenomena (e.g. Ramsey fringes) and their perturbation by molecular collisions.