Laser and radiofrequency spectroscopy of the 5d 4 6s 6 D multiplet in Ta I

The hyperfine structure (hfs) of181Ta has been investigated using laser radio-frequency double resonance and high resolution laser spectroscopy on collimated atomic beams. The magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine structure coupling constants of the 5d46s 6D3/2, 5/2, 7/2, 9/2 metastable states have been determined using radio-frequency spectroscopy. In the 5d4 6s6D1/2 metastable state and the excited 5d3 6s 6p4D3/2,6D5/2, 9/2 as well as the unidentified 28 182.6 cm−1 and 30 021.2 cm−1 states, hfs constants have been obtained from high resolution laser spectroscopy. A radio-frequency converter has been developed in order to reach the frequency region 2.7–10 GHz.