Resonant multiphoton excitation of autoionizing rydberg states and planetary atoms

G. K. Ivanov, Gennady V. Golubkov, Dmitry Manakov

William E. Cooke

We have developed a multiphoton laser excitation method that allows us to populate selectively msη/ states of barium with I = 0 or 2, m = 7–11, and η = m + 3–20. These atomic states with high core excitations have been called “planetary atoms” because of expected similarities to a classical planetary system.1 We find that the states occur in two groups: (1) if n ≫ m, the excited core states form well-behaved Rydberg series with constant quantum defects and characteristic lifetimes; (2) if n ≈ m, a dramatic new structure appears. For the first group we have observed sealing laws for quantum defects and autoionization rates which differ significantly from Hartree-Fock calculations. For the second group the new structures appear to be related to anomalously large angular correlations.

F. Fuso, M. Allegrini, E. Arimondo +1 more

X. Zhang, G. Fields, F. B. Dunning +2 more

The autoionization of high n , n ∼280-430, strontium Rydberg states through excitation of the 5s 2 S 1/2 →5p 2 P 1/2 transition in the core ion is investigated. The autoionization rates decrease rapidly as L is increased paving the way for production of long-lived two-electron-excited planetary atoms.

Alexander B Voitkiv

Gerd Leuchs