Laser-induced collisional energy transfer in a rubidium-sodium mixture: experiment and interpretation in the framework of the non-adiabatic collision theory

The laser-induced collisional energy transfer process: Rb(52P32/)+Na(32S12/)+hv implies Rb(5 2S12/)+Na(32D32.5/2/), is experimentally investigated. The relative transfer cross section or transfer profile is measured versus the frequency of the photon. The far wing of the transfer profile is well interpreted using the quasi-static approximation. However, it is shown that the central part of the profile is reproduced only by taking into account non-adiabatic mixing between molecular levels during the collision.