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arXiv:1709.07210 · Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

BBR-induced Stark shifts and level broadening in a helium atom

T Zalialiutdinov, Dmitry A. Solovyev, L Labzowsky

Published Sep 22, 2017• 10 citations
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Abstract

Abstract The precise calculations of blackbody radiation (BBR)-induced Stark shifts and depopulation rates for low-lying states of a helium atom with the use of the variational approach are presented. An effect of the BBR-induced Stark-mixing of energy levels is considered. It is shown that this effect leads to a significant reduction in the lifetimes of helium-excited states. As a consequence, the influence of the Stark-mixing effect on the decay rates of metastable states in helium is discussed in the context of formation processes of the cosmic microwave background.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6455/aa8e6e

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Abstract The precise calculations of blackbody radiation (BBR)-induced Stark shifts and depopulation rates for low-lying states of a helium atom with the use of the variational approach are presented. An effect of the BBR-induced Stark-mixing of energy levels is considered. It is shown that this effect leads to a significant reduction in the lifetimes of helium-excited states. As a consequence, the influence of the Stark-mixing effect on the decay rates of metastable states in helium is discussed in the context of formation processes of the cosmic microwave background.
A highly excited (Rydberg) atom bathed in blackbody radiation is perturbed in two ways. A dynamic Stark shift is induced by the off-resonant components of the blackbody radiation. Additionally, electric-dipole transitions to other atomic energy levels are induced by the resonant components of the blackbody radiation. This depopulation effect shortens the Rydberg-state lifetime, thereby broadening the energy level. Calculations of these two effects in many states of hydrogen, helium, and the alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs are presented for T=300T=300T=300 K. Contributions from the entire blackbody spectrum and from both discrete and continuous perturbing states are included. The accuracy is considerably greater than that of previous estimates.
We consider the Zeeman shift in Rydberg atoms induced by room-temperature blackbody radiation (BBR). BBR shifts to the Rydberg levels are dominated by the familiar BBR Stark shift. However, the BBR Stark shift and the BBR Zeeman shift exhibit different behaviors with respect to the principal quantum number of the Rydberg electron. Namely, the BBR Stark shift asymptotically approaches a constant value given by a universal expression, whereas the BBR Zeeman shift grows steeply with principal quantum number due to the diamagnetic contribution. We show that for transitions between Rydberg states, where only the differential shift between levels is of concern, the BBR Zeeman shift can surpass the BBR Stark shift. We exemplify this in the context of a proposed experiment targeting a precise determination of the Rydberg constant.
The effect of a thermal field on Rydberg states of the nS-, nP- and nD-series in beryllium ions Be+ is investigated. The blackbody radiation-induced depopulation rates caused by transitions to upper (excitations) and lower (decays) bound levels and to the continuum (ionization) are calculated in wide ranges of the principal quantum numbers n and ambient temperatures. Simple and reliable approximations for natural lifetimes and stimulated by thermal radiation depopulation rate components are proposed. The blackbody-radiation-induced shifts of Rydberg levels are also calculated and their qualitative and quantitative properties are analysed.
Transitions between energetically close-lying Rydberg states are characterized by large electric dipole matrix elements and frequencies low enough that at room temperature the photon occupation number is \ensuremath{\simeq} 10. Consequently the absorption of blackbody radiation and the stimulated emission produced by it lead to an efficient redistribution of population among nearby levels. In some cases dramatic effects are observed, for example, radiative lifetimes that are shortened to a small fraction of their T=0T=0T=0 values. In addition, the 300-K blackbody field of \ensuremath{\sim}10 V/cm produces ac Stark shifts of the Rydberg levels. Calculations of the population redistribution effects and ac Stark shifts are presented. Examples are given to illustrate that care must be taken in experiments with highly excited atoms to ensure that only one state is being observed rather than a distribution.
Rates of depopulation by blackbody radiation (BBR) and effective lifetimes of alkali-metal nSnSnS, nPnPnP, and nDnDnD Rydberg states have been calculated in a wide range of principal quantum numbers $n\ensuremath{\le}80$ at the ambient temperatures of 77, 300, and 600 K. Quasiclassical formulas were used to calculate the radial matrix elements of the dipole transitions from Rydberg states. Good agreement of our numerical results with the available theoretical and experimental data has been found. We have also obtained simple analytical formulas for estimates of effective lifetimes and BBR-induced depopulation rates, which well agree with the numerical data.
The populations of n=17,m=0 Stark states of sodium atom in static electric fields have been obtained by two step excitation using tunable lasers. The lifetimes of some selected Stark states and the influences of blackbody radiation on the lifetimes were measured by using delayed electric field ionization. The measured data were compared with the calculated values. The experimental and theoretical results exhibit following behaviours: The total rates of stimulated emission and absorption transitions induced by environmental radiations are of the same order of magnitude in comparison to those of spontaneous transition for the observed n=17 Stark manifold states at room temperature. And this effect is more remarkable for longer lived states. It, along with the effect of the Stark mixing of l sublevels, will reduce the differences among lifetimes of Stark states in a manifold.