Landau Quantization and Time Dependence in the Ionization of Cold, Strongly Magnetized Rydberg Atoms

Journal Article · Fri Dec 16 00:00:00 EST 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.253005· OSTI ID:20699704

Choi, J -H; Guest, J R; Hansis, E; Povilus, A P; Raithel, G ^[1]

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1. FOCUS Center, Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040 (United States)

The electric-field-ionization and autoionization behavior of cold Rydberg atoms of {sup 85}Rb in magnetic fields up to 6 T is investigated. Multiple ionization potentials and field-ionization bands reflecting the Landau energy quantization of the quasifree Rydberg electron are observed. The time-resolved and state-selective field-ionization study provides evidence of m mixing and spin flips of the Rydberg electron. Spin-orbit coupling combined with m mixing gives rise to a Feshbach-type autoionization of metastable positive-energy atoms.

• OSTI ID: 20699704
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 25; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.253005; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMS
AUTOIONIZATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
IONIZATION POTENTIAL
L-S COUPLING
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
QUANTIZATION
RUBIDIUM 85
RYDBERG STATES
SPIN FLIP
TIME DEPENDENCE
TIME RESOLUTION