Absolute Frequency Measurement of the 2S-8S/D Transitions in Hydrogen and Deuterium: New Determination of the Rydberg Constant

We have performed a pure optical frequency measurement of the 2S-8S/D two-photon transitions in atomic hydrogen and deuterium. These frequencies are directly compared to a new frequency standard, a diode laser stabilized to a two-photon transition at 778nm in rubidium. We deduce a new value for the Rydberg constant, R{sub {infinity}}=109737.3156859(10)cm{sup -1} with an uncertainty of 9{times}10{sup -12}. From the isotope shift, we derive a precise value of the 2S Lamb shift in deuterium [L{sub 2S-2P}=1059.230(9)MHz] and the difference of the quadratic charge radii of deuteron and proton. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}