Physica Scripta

Radiative transitions from Rydberg states of lithium atoms in a blackbody radiation environment

Igor L. Glukhov, Vitalii D Ovsiannikov

Published Apr 27, 2012• 2 citations

Abstract

The radiative widths induced by blackbody radiation (BBR) were investigated for Rydberg states with principal quantum number up to n = 1000 in S-, P- and D-series of the neutral lithium atom at temperatures T = 100–3000 K. The rates of BBR-induced decays and excitations were compared with the rates of spontaneous decays. Simple analytical approximations are proposed for accurate estimations of the ratio of thermally induced decay (excitation) rates to spontaneous decay rates in wide ranges of states and temperatures.

DOI: 10.1088/0031-8949/2012/t149/014006

Related papers

Decay, excitation, and ionization of lithium Rydberg states by blackbody radiation

Vitalii D Ovsiannikov, Igor L. Glukhov

Details of interaction between the blackbody radiation and neutral lithium atoms were studied in the temperature ranges T = 100-2000 K. The rates of thermally induced decays, excitations and ionization were calculated for S-, P- and D-series of Rydberg states in the Fues' model potential approach. The quantitative regularities for the states of the maximal rates of blackbody-radiation-induced processes were determined. Approximation formulas were proposed for analytical representation of the depopulation rates.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIESep 10, 20100 citations

Blackbody-induced decay, excitation and ionization rates for Rydberg states in hydrogen and helium atoms

Igor L. Glukhov, E A Nekipelov, Vitalii D Ovsiannikov

New features of the blackbody-induced radiation processes on Rydberg atoms were discovered on the basis of numerical data for the blackbody-induced decay P d nl ( T ), excitation P e nl ( T ) and ionization P ion nl ( T ) rates of n S, n P and n D Rydberg states calculated together with the spontaneous decay rates P sp nl in neutral hydrogen, and singlet and triplet helium atoms for some values of the principal quantum number n from 10 to 500 at temperatures from T = 100 K to 2000 K. The fractional rates R d ( e , ion) nl ( T ) = P nl d ( e , ion) ( T )/ P sp nl equal to the ratio of the induced decay (excitation, ionization) rates to the rate of spontaneous decay were determined as functions of T and n in every series of states with a given angular momentum l = 0, 1, 2. The calculated data reveal an essential difference between the asymptotic dependence of the ionization rate P ion nl ( T ) and the rates of decay and excitation P d ( e ) nl ( T )∝ T / n 2 . The departures appear in each Rydberg series for n > 100 and introduce appreciable corrections to the formula of Cooke and Gallagher. Two different approximation formulae are proposed on the basis of the numerical data, one for R d ( e ) nl ( T ) and another one for R ion nl ( T ), which reproduce the calculated values in wide ranges of principal quantum number from n = 10 to 1000 and temperatures between T = 100 K and T = 2000 K with an accuracy of 2% or better. Modified Fues' model potential approach was used for calculating matrix elements of bound–bound and bound–free radiation transitions in helium.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical PhysicsJun 1, 201030 citations

Ionization of Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation

Ilya I. Beterov, Denis B. Tretyakov, I. I. Ryabtsev +3 more

We have studied ionization of alkali-metal Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation (BBR). The results of theoretical calculations of ionization rates of Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs Rydberg atoms are presented. The calculations have been performed for nS, nP and nD states for principal quantum numbers n=8-65 at ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K. The calculations take into account the contributions of BBR-induced redistribution of population between Rydberg states prior to photoionization and field ionization by extraction electric field pulses. The obtained results show that these phenomena affect both the magnitude of the measured ionization rates and their n-dependence. A Cooper minimum for BBR-induced transitions between bound Rydberg states of Li has been found. The calculated ionization rates are compared with our earlier measurements of BBR-induced ionization rates of Na nS and nD Rydberg states with n=8-20 at 300 K. A good agreement for all states except nS with n> 15 is observed. Useful analytical formulas for quick estimates of BBR ionization rates of Rydberg atoms are presented. Application of BBR-induced ionization signal to

Nov 26, 201255 citations

Ionization of Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation

I I Beterov, D B Tretyakov, I I Ryabtsev +3 more

We have studied ionization of alkali-metal Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation (BBR). The results of theoretical calculations of ionization rates of Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs Rydberg atoms are presented. The calculations have been performed for n S, n P and n D states for principal quantum numbers n =8–65 at ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K. The calculations take into account the contributions of BBR-induced redistribution of population between Rydberg states prior to photoionization and field ionization by extraction electric field pulses. The obtained results show that these phenomena affect both the magnitude of the measured ionization rates and their n dependence. A Cooper minimum for BBR-induced transitions between bound Rydberg states of Li has been found. The calculated ionization rates are compared with our earlier measurements of BBR-induced ionization rates of Na n S and n D Rydberg states with n =8–20 at 300 K. Good agreement for all states except n S with n >15 is observed. Useful analytical formulae for quick estimates of BBR ionization rates of Rydberg atoms are presented. Application of BBR-induced ionization signal to measurements of collisional ionization rates is demonstrated.

arXiv:0807.2535New Journal of PhysicsJan 30, 200955 citations

Calculated spontaneous emission and blackbody-induced transition rates for rubidium Rydberg F states

M Luo, J. D. D. Martin

Abstract We calculate the radiative transition rates of Rb nF Rydberg states due to both spontaneous emission and blackbody radiation (BBR), covering principal quantum numbers from n = 4 to n = 65, at temperatures of 0, 77, 300, and 520 K. The contribution of BBR-induced transitions to the total bound-to-bound transition rate is 24.6 % for the 21 F 7 / 2 state at T = 520 K , indicating the contribution of BBR may have been underestimated in a previous study by Gounand et al (1980 J. Phys. France 41 119). We checked our calculation procedure for consistency with available theoretical and experimental data for the nS , nP , and nD series of Rb.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical PhysicsMay 11, 20260 citations

Broadening of energy levels of Rydberg states with small orbital angular momenta in ions of group IIb by ambient thermal radiation

Igor L. Glukhov, Aleksandr A. Kamenski, Vitalii D Ovsiannikov

Abstract We present the derivation of simple analytical expressions for calculating the widths of Rydberg states with small orbital angular momenta in Zn+, Cd+, Hg+ ions of group IIb of the periodic system of elements induced by blackbody radiation (BBR) at ambient temperatures from 100 to 3000 K. The probabilities of radiative transitions from excited nS, nP, nD and nF states to all dipole-accessible states of ions are calculated. The wave functions of the quantum defect (QD) method for the initial and final states of the Rydberg electron are used to calculate the amplitudes of transitions between bound states. The dependences of the probabilities of induced decays and excitations on the BBR temperature, the principal and orbital quantum numbers of the Rydberg ion are determined. Analytical expressions are derived for numerical estimates of the contributions of the probabilities of thermally induced decays and excitations to the width of the Rydberg energy level. The numerical values of the coefficients of interpolation polynomials representing asymptotic expansions in powers of the principal quantum number n for the relative probabilities of decays and excitations of Rydberg states with large values of n and small orbital angular momenta l = 0, 1, 2, 3 are calculated.

Quantum ElectronicsMay 19, 20211 citation