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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Exact stabilisation versus approximate stabilisation of a Stark state through ionising-channel interference

J. M. Lecomte, Eliane Luc-Koenig

Published Jun 28, 1985• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The strongly localised field-induced stabilisation experimentally observed for some Stark states in the rubidium atom is attributed to completely destructive interference between two ionising channels. In such a model it is necessary to consider not only the coupling between the studied quasi-discrete state and a broad field-ionised state but also a supplementary quasi-discrete state interacting with the two previous ones.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/18/12/002

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In this work, numerical calculations were implemented based on the diagonalisation of a matrix representation of the Stark Hamiltonian on a subset of the basis given by the zero-field Hamiltonian. Dipole matrix elements between the involved states were calculated, which allow for the prediction of transition strengths to Stark shifted Rydberg states. The applicability of the numerical methods were confirmed experimentally by precision spectroscopy in a rubidium vapour cell with electrodes using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The numerical methods were then extended to predict ionisation rates of Rydberg states in the highly Stark shifted regime beyond the classical ionisation threshold. For this purpose, a complex absorbing potential (CAP) was specifically adjusted to the Stark Hamiltonian. An experiment was conducted, in which cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) were excited to Stark shifted Rydberg states and the arising ions were detected. The obtained ionisation spectra agree well with the results from the numerical calculations. Another extension of the numerical methods was implemented for crossed electric and magnetic fields. This was used for approximate calculations of the motional Stark effect (MSE), which acts on atoms moving through static magnetic fields and thereby experiencing a Lorentz electric field. In a precision spectroscopy, once more using EIT in a vapour cell, the MSE was observed in low magnetic fields for the first time in rubidium. The spectral shift, which is caused by the MSE, matches the prediction from the numerical calculations. In a final experiment, the practical use of the knowledge of several properties of Stark shifted Rydberg states was illustrated. The numerical methods including the CAP were used to specifically select states for their optical accessibility, permanent electric dipole moments and ionisation rates. In the experiment, atoms from a MOT were excited to these states to observe different characteristics of the dipole blockade effect. The detection scheme for this experiment was realised by controlled ionisation using only small changes in the external electric field.

•Jan 1, 2018•0 citations
The strongly localised field-induced stabilisation experimentally observed for some Stark states in the rubidium atom is attributed to completely destructive interference between two ionising channels. In such a model it is necessary to consider not only the coupling between the studied quasi-discrete state and a broad field-ionised state but also a supplementary quasi-discrete state interacting with the two previous ones.
The absolute value of the lifetimes and their field dependences have been measured for two Stark states in the pi and sigma photoionisation spectra of rubidium. Thanks to a systematic detailed analysis of the Stark states and to the study of the time of arrival of the produced ions at the detector, an important increase of the lifetime has been observed in a very narrow range of field strengths. This stabilisation is attributed to a strong perturbation, due to the spin-orbit interaction, coupling the observed stable states mod m l mod =1 or 2 with slightly unstable states mod m l mod =0 or 1, which cannot be observed in the pi or sigma spectra.
L'analyse des spectres de photoionisation d'atomes à un électron optique en présence d'un champ électrique peut être faite en partant du modèle hydrogénoïde. Le problème de l'effet Stark de l'hydrogène peut être résolu de façon exacte, l'hamiltonien correspondant étant séparable en coordonnées paraboliques. On définit des densités partielles d'états et on montre qu'au-dessus de la limite classique d'ionisation par champ le spectre de l'hydrogène comporte des états quasi-discrets superposés à des états continus, les différents états n'étant pas couplés. Deux expériences concernant les spectres de photoionisation Stark du rubidium montrent l'importance des perturbations liées à l'interaction spin-orbite, comme par exemple la stabilisation d'un état Stark par le champ électrique.
Experimental studies of the quasibound Stark spectrum of cesium are reported with emphasis on the Stark redistribution of nonhydrogenic states onto the linear Stark manifold. We show that most characteristics of the spectra are understood with analytical models describing the interaction of one or several discrete states with one or several quasicontinua of discrete states. In particular, we give experimental evidence for the discrete versions of Fano profiles and stabilization of states due to interference effects. These are also important features of the continuum region which several experiments have recently demonstrated.
In this work, numerical calculations were implemented based on the diagonalisation of a matrix representation of the Stark Hamiltonian on a subset of the basis given by the zero-field Hamiltonian. Dipole matrix elements between the involved states were calculated, which allow for the prediction of transition strengths to Stark shifted Rydberg states. The applicability of the numerical methods were confirmed experimentally by precision spectroscopy in a rubidium vapour cell with electrodes using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The numerical methods were then extended to predict ionisation rates of Rydberg states in the highly Stark shifted regime beyond the classical ionisation threshold. For this purpose, a complex absorbing potential (CAP) was specifically adjusted to the Stark Hamiltonian. An experiment was conducted, in which cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) were excited to Stark shifted Rydberg states and the arising ions were detected. The obtained ionisation spectra agree well with the results from the numerical calculations. Another extension of the numerical methods was implemented for crossed electric and magnetic fields. This was used for approximate calculations of the motional Stark effect (MSE), which acts on atoms moving through static magnetic fields and thereby experiencing a Lorentz electric field. In a precision spectroscopy, once more using EIT in a vapour cell, the MSE was observed in low magnetic fields for the first time in rubidium. The spectral shift, which is caused by the MSE, matches the prediction from the numerical calculations. In a final experiment, the practical use of the knowledge of several properties of Stark shifted Rydberg states was illustrated. The numerical methods including the CAP were used to specifically select states for their optical accessibility, permanent electric dipole moments and ionisation rates. In the experiment, atoms from a MOT were excited to these states to observe different characteristics of the dipole blockade effect. The detection scheme for this experiment was realised by controlled ionisation using only small changes in the external electric field.