Tests of atomic charge-exchange cells for collinear laser spectroscopy

Abstract The performance characteristics of two charge-exchange cells (CECs) with horizontal and vertical cell configurations were determined by neutralizing a 10-keV rubidium ion beam in a potassium vapor. The neutralization efficiency and the fluorescence line shape of the 5s 2 S 1 / 2 ↔ 5 p 2P3/2 (D2) transition in neutral 85Rb were investigated as a function of the reservoir temperature used to control the potassium vapor density. The CECs exhibited similar neutralization performance and at neutralization efficiencies greater than 25–50% an asymmetric line shape of the rubidium D2 fluorescent signal was observed. The asymmetry was attributed to inelastic channels in the charge-exchange …