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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Manipulation of atomic ell-state distributions using pulsed electric fields

B. E. Tannian, C. L. Stokely, F. B. Dunning, Carlos O Reinhold, Joachim Burgdörfer

Published Sep 13, 1999• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A technique to manipulate the -state distribution of high- n Rydberg atoms is described that is based on the application of a large-amplitude rectangular electric field pulse whose rise and fall times are short compared to the classical electron orbital period and whose duration is comparable to the Stark period in the field. It is shown that by varying the duration (and/or amplitude) of this pulse, the final -state distribution can be controlled and that this distribution can be calculated reliably using classical trajectory Monte Carlo techniques.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/32/18/101

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A technique to manipulate the -state distribution of high- n Rydberg atoms is described that is based on the application of a large-amplitude rectangular electric field pulse whose rise and fall times are short compared to the classical electron orbital period and whose duration is comparable to the Stark period in the field. It is shown that by varying the duration (and/or amplitude) of this pulse, the final -state distribution can be controlled and that this distribution can be calculated reliably using classical trajectory Monte Carlo techniques.
Atoms in high-lying Rydberg states with large values of the principal quantum number n, n {ge} 300, form a valuable laboratory in which to explore the control and manipulation of quantum states of mesoscopic size using carefully tailored sequences of short electric field pulses whose characteristic times (duration and/or rise/fall times) are less than the classical electron orbital period. Atoms react to such pulse sequences very differently than to short laser or microwave pulses providing the foundation for a number of new approaches to engineering atomic wavefunctions. The remarkable level of control that can be achieved is illustrated with reference to the generation of localized wavepackets in Bohr-like near-circular orbits, and the production of non-dispersive wavepackets under periodic driving and their transport to targeted regions of phase space. The testing of these control schemes, together with their reversibility, through the creation of electric dipole echoes in Stark wavepackets, is also described. New protocols continue to be developed that will allow even tighter control with the promise of new insights into quantum-classical correspondence, information storage in mesoscopic systems, physics in the ultra-fast ultra-intense regime and nonlinear dynamics in driven systems.
Atoms in high-lying Rydberg states with large values of principal quantum number n, n ≥300, form a valuable laboratory in which to explore the control and manipulation of quantum states of mesoscopic size using carefully tailored sequences of short electric field pulses whose characteristic times (duration and/or rise/fall times) are less than the classical electron orbital period. Atoms react to such pulse sequences very differently than to short laser or microwave pulses providing the foundation for a number of new approaches to engineering atomic wavefunctions. The remarkable level of control that can be achieved is illustrated with reference to the generation of localized wavepackets in Bohr-like near-circular orbits, and the production of non-dispersive wavepackets under periodic driving and their transport to targeted regions of phase space. New protocols continue to be developed that will allow even tighter control with the promise of new insights into quantum-classical correspondence, information storage in mesoscopic systems, physics in the ultra-fast ultra-intense regime, and non-linear dynamics in driven systems.
Fully quantum and classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations are performed for a Rydberg alkali-metal atom that is kicked by a pulsed electric field. The two calculations are compared to recent experimental results through the ionization probability versus peak field strength. The energy distributions of the final electrons are compared between the two calculations. There is a qualitative difference between the classical and quantum momentum distributions which is measurable in principle. An experiment to detect the time-dependent precession of the orbital angular momentum in Cs is also proposed.
High angular momentum Rydberg wave packets are studied. Application of carefully tailored electric fields to low angular momentum, high- n ( n ∼ 300) Rydberg atoms creates coherent superpositions of Stark states with near extreme values of angular momentum, [cursive l]. Wave packet components orbit the parent nucleus at rates that depend on their energy, leading to periods of localization and delocalization as the components come into and go out of phase with each other. Monitoring survival probability signals in the presence of position dependent probing leads to observation of characteristic oscillations based on the composition of the wave packet. The discrete nature of electron energy levels is observed through the measurement of quantum revivals in the wave packet localization signal. Time-domain spectroscopy of these signals allows determination of both the population and phase of individual superposition components. Precise manipulation of wave packets is achieved through further application of pulsed electric fields. Decoherence effects due to background gas collisions and electrical noise are also detailed. Quantized classical trajectory Monte-Carlo simulations are introduced and agree remarkably well with experimental results.
Localized wavepackets are created in high- n ( n ~ 300) Rydberg atoms which travel in near-circular orbits around the nucleus. Application of carefully tailored electric fields to quasi-1D Rydberg atoms creates coherent superpositions of Stark states with near extreme values of one of the components of the angular momentum. Half-cycle electric field pulses (HCPs) probe the dynamics of the circular states producing signature oscillations in survival probability that correspond to the expected wavepacket evolution. Although these wavepackets slowly dephase and lose their localization, their motion can be followed for several orbits and provides an analog of the original Bohr model, i.e., an electron in circular classical orbit around the nucleus. Measurements of the asymmetry in survival probability with increasing probe strength at different phases of the orbit confirm orbital motion of the wavepacket. Classical trajectory Monte-Carlo simulations (CTMC) agree with experimental results, and provide promising leads for future studies.
The electron signals from the field ionization of two closely spaced Rydberg states of rubidium-85 are separated using quantum control. In selective field ionization, the state distribution of a collection of Rydberg atoms is measured by ionizing the atoms with a ramped electric field. Generally, atoms in higher energy states ionize at lower fields, so ionized electrons which are detected earlier in time can be correlated with higher energy Rydberg states. However, the resolution of this technique is limited by the Stark effect. As the electric field is increased, the electron encounters numerous avoided Stark level crossings which split the amplitude among many states, thus broadening the time-resolved ionization signal. Previously, a genetic algorithm has been used to control the signal shape of a single Rydberg state. The present work extends this technique to separate the signals from the 34s34s34s and 33p33p33p states of rubidium-85, which are overlapped when using a simple field ramp as in selective field ionization.