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Physical Review A

Accurate calculation of dynamic Stark shifts and depopulation rates of Rydberg energy levels induced by blackbody radiation. Hydrogen, helium, and alkali-metal atoms

John W. Farley, William H. Wing

Published May 1, 1981• 304 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A highly excited (Rydberg) atom bathed in blackbody radiation is perturbed in two ways. A dynamic Stark shift is induced by the off-resonant components of the blackbody radiation. Additionally, electric-dipole transitions to other atomic energy levels are induced by the resonant components of the blackbody radiation. This depopulation effect shortens the Rydberg-state lifetime, thereby broadening the energy level. Calculations of these two effects in many states of hydrogen, helium, and the alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs are presented for $T=300$ K. Contributions from the entire blackbody spectrum and from both discrete and continuous perturbing states are included. The accuracy is considerably greater than that of previous estimates.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.23.2397

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A highly excited (Rydberg) atom bathed in blackbody radiation is perturbed in two ways. A dynamic Stark shift is induced by the off-resonant components of the blackbody radiation. Additionally, electric-dipole transitions to other atomic energy levels are induced by the resonant components of the blackbody radiation. This depopulation effect shortens the Rydberg-state lifetime, thereby broadening the energy level. Calculations of these two effects in many states of hydrogen, helium, and the alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs are presented for T=300T=300T=300 K. Contributions from the entire blackbody spectrum and from both discrete and continuous perturbing states are included. The accuracy is considerably greater than that of previous estimates.
Transitions between energetically close-lying Rydberg states are characterized by large electric dipole matrix elements and frequencies low enough that at room temperature the photon occupation number is \ensuremath{\simeq} 10. Consequently the absorption of blackbody radiation and the stimulated emission produced by it lead to an efficient redistribution of population among nearby levels. In some cases dramatic effects are observed, for example, radiative lifetimes that are shortened to a small fraction of their T=0T=0T=0 values. In addition, the 300-K blackbody field of \ensuremath{\sim}10 V/cm produces ac Stark shifts of the Rydberg levels. Calculations of the population redistribution effects and ac Stark shifts are presented. Examples are given to illustrate that care must be taken in experiments with highly excited atoms to ensure that only one state is being observed rather than a distribution.
Rates of depopulation by blackbody radiation (BBR) and effective lifetimes of alkali-metal nSnSnS, nPnPnP, and nDnDnD Rydberg states have been calculated in a wide range of principal quantum numbers $n\ensuremath{\le}80$ at the ambient temperatures of 77, 300, and 600 K. Quasiclassical formulas were used to calculate the radial matrix elements of the dipole transitions from Rydberg states. Good agreement of our numerical results with the available theoretical and experimental data has been found. We have also obtained simple analytical formulas for estimates of effective lifetimes and BBR-induced depopulation rates, which well agree with the numerical data.
We study the level shifts and depopulation of Rydberg states, confined between two parallel metallic plates, due to blackbody radiation. After the derivation of the formal equations for the level shift and the depopulation, we present, as an example, specific calculations for the Rb 24s24s24s state as a function of plate distance LLL at three different temperatures 10, 85, and 205 K.
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.
Abstract The precise calculations of blackbody radiation (BBR)-induced Stark shifts and depopulation rates for low-lying states of a helium atom with the use of the variational approach are presented. An effect of the BBR-induced Stark-mixing of energy levels is considered. It is shown that this effect leads to a significant reduction in the lifetimes of helium-excited states. As a consequence, the influence of the Stark-mixing effect on the decay rates of metastable states in helium is discussed in the context of formation processes of the cosmic microwave background.
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