Measurement of the argon-gas-induced broadening and line shifting of the barium Rydberg level 6s24d 1D2 by two-photon resonant nondegenerate four-wave mixing

We apply two-photon resonant nondegenerate four-wave mixing with a resonant intermediate state to the observation of the broadening and shifting of the barium Rydberg level 6s24d 1D2 by collision with argon. The collision broadening and shifting cross sections are measured. This technique is purely optical, and can investigate the pressure dependence of the transverse relaxation rate Γ21 between the Rydberg state and an intermediate state, as well as the transverse relaxation rate Γ20 between the Rydberg state and the ground state.