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I know that usually E1-transition is dominant over all the higher multipoles in atomic spectroscopy. My question is: are there any natural/fabricated atomic systems where magnetic transitions are compatible or even stronger than electric?

Thanks!

MsTais
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  • Why do you need it, though? If you're driving in resonance, you can transfer population just as efficiently. The only thing that really changes is the narrower linewidth of the transition, and that works in your favour just as often as it works against you. – Emilio Pisanty Aug 03 '17 at 20:41
  • Well, I need to run a certain sensitivity test. If you know atomic structures with this property, I will highly appreciate if you share. I suppose it should be possible to fabricate such structures. – MsTais Aug 03 '17 at 21:33
  • Without further context, that's probably impossible to answer, to be honest. As I said, if you're exactly on resonance (and therefore with a narrower width than the linewidth), E1 and M1 lines are equally efficient. Everything else depends on the details. – Emilio Pisanty Aug 03 '17 at 21:49
  • So you are saying that tuning the wavelength I can isolate any multipole? Well, yeah, in that case I need, E1 and any magnetic multipole laying close so that I could simultaneously excite them. Does it make more sense to you? Thanks btw=) – MsTais Aug 03 '17 at 23:34
  • With the right wavelength, yes, you can isolate any multipole. For M1 the hydrogen line is the easiest example, for E2 and E3 see e.g. the NPL paper referenced here. That's not to say that M1 and E2 are as easy to probe as E1, though: the linewidths are substantially thinner, so you need much more power or a correspondingly narrowband probe (with a correspondingly long coherence time), but on the resonance you can do equally well. – Emilio Pisanty Aug 04 '17 at 01:07
  • As to the design aspects of your question, they're either much too broad or too close to the reasons why engineering questions are off-topic. – Emilio Pisanty Aug 04 '17 at 01:09
  • "That's not to say that M1 and E2 are as easy to probe as E1...": with the same photon wavelength? From what I understand now, the resonant frequencies in general case are different, right? What I need is them laying very close to each other, so that I tune that laser once and excite two transitions, say E1 and any M, in one shot. Is it possible? – MsTais Aug 04 '17 at 14:49
  • That kind of systems-design question is rather outside of our purview. – Emilio Pisanty Aug 04 '17 at 22:22

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