Photoionization cross sections of the 5S1/2 and 5P3/2 states of Rb in simultaneous magneto-optical trapping of Rb and Hg

We report the measurement of the photoionization cross sections of the $5{S}_{1/2}$ and $5{P}_{3/2}$ states of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ in a two-species Hg and Rb magneto-optical trap (MOT) by the cooling laser for Hg. The photoionization cross sections of Rb in the $5{S}_{1/2}$ and $5{P}_{3/2}$ states at 253.7 nm are determined to be ${1}_{\ensuremath{-}1}^{+4.3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\text{cm}}^{2}$ and $4.63(30)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\text{cm}}^{2}$, respectively. To measure the $5{S}_{1/2}$ and $5{P}_{3/2}$ state fractions in the MOT we detected the photoionization rat…