The evolution of a (n=2) hydrogen atom passing through a linearly increasing or decreasing electric field is calculated in a three-state approximation. The observable fraction of 2p 1/2 , 2s 1/2 and 2p 3/2 quantum state in the resulting coherent mixture is calculated. The amplitude of the oscillations, which appear when the field parameters are varied, is shown to depend only on the rate of change of the field, as seen by the atom. Maps of oscillation amplitudes and average values are given for the metastable atom. Comparison is made with the sudden and adiabatic approximations.The evolution of a (n=2) hydrogen atom passing through a linearly increasing or decreasing electric field is calculated in a three-state approximation. The observable fraction of 2p 1/2 , 2s 1/2 and 2p 3/2 quantum state in the resulting coherent mixture is calculated. The amplitude of the oscillations, which appear when the field parameters are varied, is shown to depend only on the rate of change of the field, as seen by the atom. Maps of oscillation amplitudes and average values are given for the metastable atom. Comparison is made with the sudden and adiabatic approximations.

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular PhysicsDec 1, 19744 citations

The Coherent States of the Hydrogen Atom

Monique Combescure, Didier Robert

Theoretical and mathematical physicsJan 1, 20120 citations

Measurement of the Lamb shift in the hydrogen atom

Yurii L. Sokolov, Valery P. Yakovlev

A principle is proposed for the observation of the stationary interference pattern of two phase-shifted components of the 2p (or 2s) state of the hydrogen atom (Yu. L. Sokolov, Sov. Phys. JETP 36, 243 (1973)); (Proc. 6-th Internat. Conf. on Atomic Phys., Riga, 1978, p. 207). An atomic interferometer, a device analogous in principle to a two-channel optical (such as Michelson's) interferometer, is used to measure the frequency of the (2s/sub 1/2/, F = 0)--(2p/sub 1/2/, F = 0) transition in the hydrogen atom, which is found to equal 909.9014 +- 0.0019 MHz. The corresponding Lamb shift is delta(H, n = 2) = 1057.8594 +- 0.0019 MHz.A principle is proposed for the observation of the stationary interference pattern of two phase-shifted components of the 2p (or 2s) state of the hydrogen atom (Yu. L. Sokolov, Sov. Phys. JETP 36, 243 (1973)); (Proc. 6-th Internat. Conf. on Atomic Phys., Riga, 1978, p. 207). An atomic interferometer, a device analogous in principle to a two-channel optical (such as Michelson's) interferometer, is used to measure the frequency of the (2s/sub 1/2/, F = 0)--(2p/sub 1/2/, F = 0) transition in the hydrogen atom, which is found to equal 909.9014 +- 0.0019 MHz. The corresponding Lamb shift is delta(H, n = 2) = 1057.8594 +- 0.0019 MHz.

Soviet Physics UspekhiOct 31, 19824 citations

INTERFERENCE OF THE 2p/sub

sup 1

sub 2

/ STATE OF THE HYDROGEN ATOM.