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Australian Journal of Physics

Angular and Polarisation Correlations between Cascade Photons

Jingbo B. Wang, Jim Williams

Published Apr 1, 1996• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The density matrix theory is applied to establish a connection between the configuration of the excited atomic states and the intensity and polarisation of the cascade photons emitted during the decay process. Explicit expressions are obtained for the P, D and F states of hydrogen and helium atoms. These formulae can be used to assist experimental design for the most efficient and revealing measurements. In addition, formulae for the integrated polarisation of the emitted photons from the P, D, F and G states of hydrogen and helium are presented in terms of partial excitation cross sections.

DOI
10.1071/ph960335

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The density matrix theory is applied to establish a connection between the configuration of the excited atomic states and the intensity and polarisation of the cascade photons emitted during the decay process. Explicit expressions are obtained for the P, D and F states of hydrogen and helium atoms. These formulae can be used to assist experimental design for the most efficient and revealing measurements. In addition, formulae for the integrated polarisation of the emitted photons from the P, D, F and G states of hydrogen and helium are presented in terms of partial excitation cross sections.
The delayed coincidence technique was applied to investigate angular and polarization correlations between electrons scattered inelastically from helium atoms and photons emitted in the decay of n1P states. \n \nElectron photon angular correlations were studied for the excitation of the 21P and 31P states of helium at an incident electron energy of 50 eV and for electron scattering angles in the range of 20° - 102° and 35° - 55o respectively. From the analysis of these measurements the excitation parameters λ = (|a¬o| 2)/(2| a1| 2+|ao| 2) = σo/σ and the magnitude |x| of the phase difference between the excitation amplitudes a_ML for the M_L = 1 and M_L = 0 states are obtained. \n \nUsing the 3¬¬1P - 21S decay light the electron-photon polarization correlation were measured for the 31P state of helium at electron impact energies 50, 80, 120 and 160 eV and for electron scattering angles between 27.5° and 108°. The Stokes parameters n1, n2 and n3 were derived and the sign change of the angular momentum transfer < Ly > to the atom was investigated using the circular polarization results (n2). A sign change was confirmed for all energies studied and the scattering angle of the sign change was found to increase with decreasing electron energy. The excitation parameters λ and x have been derived and the present results are compared with theoretical calculations and with previous experimental values obtained from angular and polarization correlation measurements.
Two-photon ionisation of atomic hydrogen is considered in the non-relativistic dipole approximation at the photoelectric threshold and above it. In this region are obtained convergent analytical expressions for the radial transitions matrix elements, necessary for the calculation of ionisation rates. Partial and total cross sections per unit intensity are calculated for two-photon ionisation of atomic hydrogen in excited states with 2<or=n<or=9 by linearly and circularly polarised light at the photoelectric threshold and above it. At the photoelectric threshold calculations are also carried out for the two-photon ionisation of atomic hydrogen in the ground state.
We have applied the density matrix and second-order perturbation theory in order to re-analyze the two-photon decay of hydrogen-like ions for the polarization of emitted light. Special attention is paid to the linear polarization of one of the photons, while the spin state of the second photon is supposed to be unobserved. For such an “angle-polarization” correlation of the two photons we investigate the contributions that arise from non electric-dipole terms in the expansion of the electron-photon interaction. Detailed calculations are performed for the 2s 1/2 →1s 1/2 and 3d 5/2 →1s 1/2 transitions in neutral hydrogen as well as in hydrogen-like uranium.
We present a theory of cascade emission from an array of NNN fixed, ``three-level'' atoms. The total angular momentum of the ground state of each atom is J=0J=0J=0, that of the intermediate state is J=1J=1J=1, and that of the upper state is J=0J=0J=0. The atoms are prepared in a spatially phased superposition of their ground and upper states, collectively sharing a single excitation. We calculate the time-integrated, joint probability distribution for radiation to be emitted in a given direction with a given polarization on each transition and use this joint probability distribution to calculate the time-integrated intensity emitted on each transition. The dipole-dipole interaction between the atoms is taken into account. Analytic expressions are obtained for two atoms and the calculation is then extended formally to an ensemble of NNN atoms at arbitrary positions. As expected, the radiation emitted on the upper transition is unpolarized and isotropic. However, somewhat surprisingly, we find that for excitation by counterpropagating fields and for nearly equal ground to intermediate and intermediate to upper level transition frequencies, the radiation on the lower transition is also isotropic and unpolarized, provided the atoms are prepared in a fully symmetric state. We also establish conditions for which there can be a phase-matched enhancement of the joint probability density for specific directions of emissions on the upper and lower transitions.