Bidirectionally kicked Rydberg atoms: Population trapping near the continuum

Journal Article · Sun Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.73.0· OSTI ID:20786806

Zhao, W; Mestayer, J J; Lancaster, J C; Dunning, F B ^[1]; Reinhold, C O ^[2]; Yoshida, S ^[3]; Burgdoerfer, J ^[3]

---

1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892 (United States)
2. Physics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6372 (United States)
3. Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna University of Technology, A1040 Vienna (Austria)

The behavior of high-n Rydberg atoms subject to a periodic sequence of short half-cycle pulses (HCPs) that alternate in sign is reexamined. Each HCP delivers an impulsive momentum transfer or 'kick' to the electron and the net average field it experiences is zero. The data show that the excited electron energy distribution initially moves toward the continuum, i.e., toward states of higher n, but then becomes transiently trapped near the edge of the continuum leading to sizable overall survival probabilities. The physical mechanisms responsible for this are discussed with the aid of classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations.

• OSTI ID: 20786806
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 73, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.73.015401; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PERIODICITY
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
PROBABILITY
PULSES
RADIATION PRESSURE
RYDBERG STATES
TRAPPING