Wave Packets in Perturbed Rydberg Systems

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4359· OSTI ID:530227

Schumacher, D W; Lyons, B J; Gallagher, T F ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901 (United States)

We have excited wave packets in perturbed Rydberg states of barium, an atom with two optically active electrons, and have observed qualitatively different wave packets from those seen in one-electron atoms. In particular, we have found that electron-electron scattering quickly leads to excitation of a doubly excited state and subsequent passage of the population back and forth between different configurations or channels, the quantum analog of two coupled pendula. The experimental results can be successfully described by quantum defect theory. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 530227
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 78; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
BARIUM
ELECTRON-ELECTRON INTERACTIONS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXCITED STATES
KINETIC ENERGY
OSCILLATORS
RYDBERG STATES
WAVE PACKETS