Designing Rydberg wavepackets using trains of half-cycle pulses
Carlos O Reinhold, S. Yoshida, Joachim Burgdörfer +3 more
A technique for generating Rydberg wavepackets in preferred target states is demonstrated that exploits the mixed phase space structure of the periodically `kicked' Rydberg atom. Experimental data and classical simulations for very-high- n Rydberg atoms are presented that show that application of a train of equispaced, unidirectional half-cycle pulses can lead to localization of the final wavepacket in classical stable islands. The product wavepackets are examined using a delayed half-cycle probe pulse. It is demonstrated that the motion of the wavepackets is either quasiperiodic or random depending on whether or not the initial state of the atom overlaps a stable island.
Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Aug 10, 2001•17 citations