Collisional excitation of 4p ²P states of Ca⁺ following pulsed-laser pumping of the 4s^{2 1}S₀-4s4p ³P₁ transition of Ca

Collisional excitation of the 4p ²P_{3/2, 1/2} states of Ca⁺ located at 74720.4 and 74497.5 cm^-1 above the ground state of Ca following pulsed-laser pumping of the 4s4p ³P₁ state is reported. This involves pooling of the energies of up to five laser-excited atoms or an equivalent energy transfer, presumably the largest collisional transfer observed in such experiments. Time resolved measurements of spectral emission have also been carried out in order to study the dynamics of the collisional population of highly excited states of Ca following the preparation of the 4s4p ³P₁ state by the laser.