Foreign gas pressure broadening and shifts of the 2S-4S two-photon transition in lithium

We have observed broadening and shift of the 2S-4S Doppler-free two-photon transition of atomic Li by collisions with neon and argon buffer gases in a heat-pipe oven. Measured broadening and shift rates are presented and compared with theoretical predictions calculated in the impact approximation using three different interaction potentials. A superposition of polarization and modified Fermi potentials gives good agreement with the experimental data.