  A room-temperature beam of krypton atoms in the metastable 5s[3/2]2 level is
demonstrated via an optical excitation method. A Kr-discharge lamp is used to
produce VUV photons at 124 nm for the first-step excitation from the
ground-level 4p6 1S0 to the 5s[3/2]1 level. An 819 nm Ti:Sapphire laser is used
for the second-step excitation from 5s[3/2]1 to 5p[3/2]1, followed by a
spontaneous decay to the 5s[3/2]2 metastable level. A metastable atomic beam
with an angular flux density of 3 x 10^14 /s/sr is achieved at the total gas
flow rate of 0.01 cm^3 STP/s (or 3 x 10^17 atoms/s). The dependences of the
flux on the gas flow rate, laser power, and lamp parameters are investigated.
