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Physical Review Letters

Ionization of Rydberg atoms by subpicosecond half-cycle electromagnetic pulses

R. R. Jones, D. You, P. H. Bucksbaum

Published Mar 1, 1993• 298 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have ionized Rydberg atoms using subpicosecond half-cycle electromagnetic pulses. The threshold electric field required to ionize a Rydberg state with effective quantum number ${\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ is found to scale as ${\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ for states with ${\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}}$>13 in contradistinction to the ${\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ threshold scaling for static field ionization and high order multiphoton ionization. This novel result is explained using a classical model.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.70.1236

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We have ionized Rydberg atoms using subpicosecond half-cycle electromagnetic pulses. The threshold electric field required to ionize a Rydberg state with effective quantum number n∗{\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}}n∗ is found to scale as n∗\ensuremath−2{\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}n∗\ensuremath−2 for states with n∗{\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}}n∗>13 in contradistinction to the n∗\ensuremath−4{\mathit{n}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}n∗\ensuremath−4 threshold scaling for static field ionization and high order multiphoton ionization. This novel result is explained using a classical model.
Theoretical analysis of the recently observed ionization of Rydberg atoms by ultra-short half-cycle single-polarity electromagnetic pulses is presented. It is shown that the observations are consistent with the general classical scaling for the hydrogen atom in a microwave field, but the quantitative explanation of the results is possible only within the framework of quantum mechanics. In other words, the photonic basis approach for quantum dynamics and the multiphoton ionization theory yield the measured threshold fields. This is an example of classical scaling of a non-classical effect. 1.
A simple theory of the Rydberg atoms ionization by electromagnetic pulses and microwave field is presented. The analysis is based on the scale transformation which reduces the number of parameters and reveals the functional dependencies of the processes. It is shown that the observed ionization of Rydberg atoms by subpicosecond electromagnetic pulses scale classically. The threshold electric field required to ionise a Rydberg state may be simply evaluated in the photonic basis approach for the quantum dynamics or from the multiphoton ionization theory.
We study the ionization of Rydberg atoms by half-cycle electromagnetic pulses as a function of the duration of the pulses covering a broad range of time intervals connecting the adiabatic and sudden regimes. The threshold fields for ionization lie on a universal classical scaling invariant curve. We present quantum mechanical results which agree well with the universal curve. The n -2 threshold field scaling found experimentally is a linear approximation to the universal curve by the tangent in the region where the pulse duration is of the order of the orbital period of the atom. We predict the existence of an ultrashort pulse limit in which the threshold field scales as n -1 . Effects due to the non-hydrogenic core are negligible.
We have studied ionization and excitation of Rydberg atoms by intense sub‐picosecond electromagnetic field pulses of less than one cycle duration. The ionization threshold electric field scales as the binding energy (i.e., n*−2, rather than the n*−4 threshold scaling characteristic of static field ionization and high order multiphoton ionization. This altered behavior is due to the short duration and the subcycle nature of the field. We also find a wide distribution of final states produced by these pulses, which are effectively ‘‘in resonance’’ for dozens of transitions simultaneously.
A simple theory of the Rydberg atoms ionisation by electromagnetic pulses and microwave field is presented. The analysis is based on the scale transformation which reduces the number of parameters and reveals the functional dependencies of the processes. It is shown that the observed ionisation of Rydberg atoms by subpicosecond electromagnetic pulses scale classically. The threshold electric field required to ionise a Rydberg state may be simply evaluated in the photonic basis approach for the quantum dynamics or from the multiphoton ionisation theory.