Abstract
Multi-step resonance ionization spectroscopy of cobalt has been obtained using a hot-cavity laser ion source and three Ti:Sapphire lasers. The photoionization spectra revealed members of five new autoionizing Rydberg series that originate from three different lower levels of 3d74s5s h4F9/2, 3d74s4d f4G11/2, and 3d74s4d f4H13/2 and converge to the first four excited states of singly ionized Co. The analyses of the Rydberg series yield 63564.689 ± 0.036 cm-1 as the first ionization potential of Co, which is an order of magnitude more accurate than the previous estimation. Using a three-step resonance ionization scheme that employs an autoinizing Rydberg state in the last transition, we obtained an overall ionization efficiency of about 18% for Co.