Abstract

We use two-photon resonant excitation and time-correlated single-photon counting techniques on a sample of ${ }^{210}\mathrm{Fr}$ atoms confined and cooled in a magneto-optical trap to measure the lifetime of the $9s$ excited level. Direct measurement of the decay through the $7P_{3/2}$ level at 851 nm yields a lifetime of $107.53\pm 0.80 \mathrm{ns}$.

© 2003 Optical Society of America

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