Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Coherence and interference in a Rydberg atom in a strong laser field: excitation, ionization, and emission of light

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, Misha Ivanov

Published Apr 1, 1990• 47 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Excitation and photoionization of Rydberg wave packets are described. Interference of bound-free transitions from many coherently populated Rydberg levels is shown to affect the dependence of the photoionization probability on the duration of interaction. Strong-field interference effects in such a system are described also. The most important of these is the field-induced interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms in a strong ionizing field. The intensity range in which this effect can exist is determined. The results derived are used for a qualitative model describing supercontinuum emission in the process of multiphoton ionization.

DOI
10.1364/josab.7.000569

Related papers

Interference suppression of photoionization of Rydberg atoms in a strong electromagnetic field

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, A. M. Movsesian

Photoionization of highly excited atoms by a strong microwave field is considered. Secondary coherent population of some neighboring Rydberg levels in the process of ionization is shown to be a reason for interference of transitions from these levels to the continuum. Interference is shown to be a reason for some new effects: stabilization of the atom, suppression of its ionization, appearance of a multipeak structure in the photoelectron spectrum, field-induced narrowing of its peaks, narrowing and localization of quasi-energy atomic spectrum in a strong field, etc.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•May 1, 1989•110 citations

Wave packets, probabilities of transitions, and multiphoton excitation of atoms

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, A. M. Movsesian

Continuum–continuum, bound–bound, bound–free, and free–bound atomic field-induced transitions are investigated. The initial atomic state is supposed to be given by a wave packet of coherently populated levels of continuous or discrete spectra. Interference effects were found to increase the probabilities of these types of transition and to change their dependence on the pulse duration τ. Interference is shown to occur also in the two-photon ionization probability with highly excited Rydberg levels as intermediate states. Criteria of applicability of the energy diffusion model are formulated. The different diffusion criteria are shown to be incompatible with each other, owing particularly to described interference effects. An alternative picture of multiphoton excitation is suggested. This picture is similar to the above-threshold ionization and predicts the appearance of some maxima in the spectrum of excited electrons below the ionization threshold.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Apr 1, 1988•23 citations

Interaction of atoms with supershort laser pulses and the generation of the supercontinuum

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, Misha Ivanov, P. B. Lerner

A theoretical model of emission from an atom excited by a strong laser field is proposed. The main ideas incorporated in the model are: (i) time-dependent AC Stark shift of Rydberg levels; (ii) field-induced level crossing providing efficient resonance coherent population of Rydberg levels; (iii) field-induced interference suppression of photoionisation from Rydberg levels in a strong field; (iv) two-step transition from the zone of coherently excited Rydberg levels to the ground level with spontaneous emission of a photon at the first step and stimulated emission of some laser photons at the second step. The model is shown to describe qualitatively the main features of the experimentally observed supercontinuum, i.e. a substantially broadened spectrum of emitted light.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Aug 14, 1990•13 citations

Strong-field short-pulse photoionization of Rydberg atoms: Interference stabilization and distribution of the photoelectron density in space and time

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, Olga V. Tikhonova

Photoionization of Rydberg atoms is considered in the framework of the quasiclassical (WKB) approach. Distribution of the photoelectron density in space and time is found and analyzed. This distribution is shown to consist of two main parts: the temporary population, which exists only as long as the light field is on; and the population corresponding to irreversible ionization. The irreversible-ionization wave packets are shown to experience the effect referred to as Coulomb narrowing. An origin of this effect and the conditions of its existence are discussed. In a strong field, rather simple analytical expressions are found for the partial probabilities of above-threshold ionization and for the total probability of ionization. In contrast to many earlier works, in the present theory neither the rotating-wave nor ``pole'' approximations are used, and the results are derived for an arbitrary pulse shape. Strong-field interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms is confirmed to occur at pulse durations shorter than the Kepler period. The arising regimes of interference stabilization are analyzed in comparison with the predictions of earlier works.

Physical Review A•Aug 1, 1998•20 citations

Interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms induced by a strong laser field

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov

Interference stabilization of atoms is discussed. Raman-type transitions to Rydberg states with higher values of the electron orbital momentum l are taken into account in numerical calculations. These transitions are shown to change qualitatively theoretical predictions concerning the dependence of the time of ionization ti on the light field-strength amplitude (epsilon) 0: the time of ionization is shown to be a falling function of (epsilon) 0 in the weak-field region and, then, in a rather large interval of (epsilon) 0, to be approximately constant. The results derived are shown to be in a rather good agreement with the existing experiments.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 6, 1996•0 citations

Interference Stabilization Revisited

Mikhail Vladimirovich Fedorov, Nikolai P. Poluektov, A. M. Popov +3 more

Interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms in a sufficiently strong laser field is revisited. Its main features predicted theoretically and observed experimentally are described together with the newest experimental and theoretical results. The most important new results concern the found efficient population of atomic Rydberg levels in the process of multiphoton ionization and interference stabilization of population at Rydberg levels. Another important new topic is the interference stabilization at vibrational levels of dissociating molecules.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics•Feb 9, 2011•28 citations
Excitation and photoionization of Rydberg wave packets are described. Interference of bound-free transitions from many coherently populated Rydberg levels is shown to affect the dependence of the photoionization probability on the duration of interaction. Strong-field interference effects in such a system are described also. The most important of these is the field-induced interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms in a strong ionizing field. The intensity range in which this effect can exist is determined. The results derived are used for a qualitative model describing supercontinuum emission in the process of multiphoton ionization.
Photoionization of highly excited atoms by a strong microwave field is considered. Secondary coherent population of some neighboring Rydberg levels in the process of ionization is shown to be a reason for interference of transitions from these levels to the continuum. Interference is shown to be a reason for some new effects: stabilization of the atom, suppression of its ionization, appearance of a multipeak structure in the photoelectron spectrum, field-induced narrowing of its peaks, narrowing and localization of quasi-energy atomic spectrum in a strong field, etc.
Continuum–continuum, bound–bound, bound–free, and free–bound atomic field-induced transitions are investigated. The initial atomic state is supposed to be given by a wave packet of coherently populated levels of continuous or discrete spectra. Interference effects were found to increase the probabilities of these types of transition and to change their dependence on the pulse duration τ. Interference is shown to occur also in the two-photon ionization probability with highly excited Rydberg levels as intermediate states. Criteria of applicability of the energy diffusion model are formulated. The different diffusion criteria are shown to be incompatible with each other, owing particularly to described interference effects. An alternative picture of multiphoton excitation is suggested. This picture is similar to the above-threshold ionization and predicts the appearance of some maxima in the spectrum of excited electrons below the ionization threshold.
A theoretical model of emission from an atom excited by a strong laser field is proposed. The main ideas incorporated in the model are: (i) time-dependent AC Stark shift of Rydberg levels; (ii) field-induced level crossing providing efficient resonance coherent population of Rydberg levels; (iii) field-induced interference suppression of photoionisation from Rydberg levels in a strong field; (iv) two-step transition from the zone of coherently excited Rydberg levels to the ground level with spontaneous emission of a photon at the first step and stimulated emission of some laser photons at the second step. The model is shown to describe qualitatively the main features of the experimentally observed supercontinuum, i.e. a substantially broadened spectrum of emitted light.
Photoionization of Rydberg atoms is considered in the framework of the quasiclassical (WKB) approach. Distribution of the photoelectron density in space and time is found and analyzed. This distribution is shown to consist of two main parts: the temporary population, which exists only as long as the light field is on; and the population corresponding to irreversible ionization. The irreversible-ionization wave packets are shown to experience the effect referred to as Coulomb narrowing. An origin of this effect and the conditions of its existence are discussed. In a strong field, rather simple analytical expressions are found for the partial probabilities of above-threshold ionization and for the total probability of ionization. In contrast to many earlier works, in the present theory neither the rotating-wave nor ``pole'' approximations are used, and the results are derived for an arbitrary pulse shape. Strong-field interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms is confirmed to occur at pulse durations shorter than the Kepler period. The arising regimes of interference stabilization are analyzed in comparison with the predictions of earlier works.
Interference stabilization of atoms is discussed. Raman-type transitions to Rydberg states with higher values of the electron orbital momentum l are taken into account in numerical calculations. These transitions are shown to change qualitatively theoretical predictions concerning the dependence of the time of ionization ti on the light field-strength amplitude (epsilon) 0: the time of ionization is shown to be a falling function of (epsilon) 0 in the weak-field region and, then, in a rather large interval of (epsilon) 0, to be approximately constant. The results derived are shown to be in a rather good agreement with the existing experiments.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms in a sufficiently strong laser field is revisited. Its main features predicted theoretically and observed experimentally are described together with the newest experimental and theoretical results. The most important new results concern the found efficient population of atomic Rydberg levels in the process of multiphoton ionization and interference stabilization of population at Rydberg levels. Another important new topic is the interference stabilization at vibrational levels of dissociating molecules.