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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Study of non-hydrogenic near degeneracies between m sublevels in the linear Stark effect of sodium Rydberg states

Claude Fabre, Y. Kaluzny, R. Calabrese, Liang Jun, P. Goy, S. Haroche

Published Aug 28, 1984• 29 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The authors have studied the linear Stark effect of sodium Rydberg states by subDoppler high resolution spectroscopy using a continuous stepwise excitation of sodium atoms (3S to 3P to 3D to nF) with the help of a CW dye laser and of two single-mode diode lasers. They have shown a quasidegeneracy of m=0, mod m mod =1 and mod m mod =2 states, revealing an unexpected non-hydrogenic behaviour of Stark states in this linear regime. A simple model, based on a 'truncated Stark basis' approach accounts for this feature, which is common to all alkali atom Rydberg states.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/17/16/005

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The authors have studied the linear Stark effect of sodium Rydberg states by subDoppler high resolution spectroscopy using a continuous stepwise excitation of sodium atoms (3S to 3P to 3D to nF) with the help of a CW dye laser and of two single-mode diode lasers. They have shown a quasidegeneracy of m=0, mod m mod =1 and mod m mod =2 states, revealing an unexpected non-hydrogenic behaviour of Stark states in this linear regime. A simple model, based on a 'truncated Stark basis' approach accounts for this feature, which is common to all alkali atom Rydberg states.
We present the experimental evidence of the linear Stark behaviour in an atomic spectrum at low (absolute) electric field strengths on high lying quasi-hydrogenic series of atomic caesium. This is the behaviour which would be observed on hydrogen atoms for any level. It is exhibited here in the 1-15 V/cm range on quasi-hydrogenic atoms, excited, in vapour phase, by a c.w. dye laser to n = 60 Rydberg states. Under these conditions, the core effects are almost negligible compared with the first linear-in-field term in the Stark expansion of the energy.
The authors describe the details of an experiment using a sodium atomic beam and two dye lasers. By stepwise excitation they have selectively populated highly excited ns, nd and, using Stark mixing, np states fron n=20-50. The excited atoms were detected by field ionisation. The results obtained for the ionisation threshold fields for these states are presented and compared with the theoretical classical law F c =(2n*) -4 . A suitable field shape and detection technique allows the observation of multiple thresholds with high sensitivity. Multiple thresholds for nd states have been observed, as expected. Some ns singlet states also show multiple thresholds. Using suitably polarised laser beams the mod m L mod dependence of the ionisation threshold fields for the 20d state has been observed. The approach proposed recently by Gallagher for predicting the threshold fields is generally confirmed.
The development of the tunable dye laser as well as other more advanced experimental techniques has recently made possible the high-resolution study of the fine structure of the highly excited Rydberg states of alkali atoms. By recognising analytically the n dependence of the energy eigenvalue of the highly excited state based on its quasi-hydrogenic character, the authors were able to analyse quantitatively all the existing experimental measurements. The qualitative aspects concerning the fine structure splitting will also be discussed.
We have studied experimentally and theoretically two-step photoionization through the 3P state of sodium in an electric field of up to 3.90 kV/cm. The apparatus uses an atomic beam crossed by two pulsed laser beams, one at 589 nm for the first step, and the other swept through the zero field threshold Eo near 409 nm for the ionization. We observe broad undulations in the photocurrent above Eo that narrow with decreasing energy and eventually sharpen into well-defined but asymmetric transitions to Stark-shifted Rydberg states. We calculate the oscillator strength density for the appropriate transitions using modified hydrogenic wave functions and find excellent agreement for the position and relative strength of all the spectral features. We model the asymmetries as Fano-type interferences between quasi-discrete and continuum ionization channels. Using appropriate core potentials, and taking into account core-induced coupling of both discrete-to-continuum and continuum-to-continuum states, we obtain estimates of Fano's q and Ɖ that agree reasonably well with our measurements.