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Physical Review A

Pulse-induced focusing of Rydberg wave packets

D. G. Arbó, Carlos O Reinhold, Joachim Burgdörfer, Arjendu K. Pattanayak, C. L. Stokely, Wen Kui Zhao, J. C. Lancaster, F. B. Dunning

Published Jun 13, 2003• 62 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate that strong transient phase-space localization can be achieved by the application of a single impulsive ``kick'' in the form of a short (600 ps) unidirectional electric-field pulse to a strongly polarized, quasi-one-dimensional Rydberg atom. The underlying classical dynamics is analyzed and it is shown that phase-space localization results from a focusing effect analogous to rainbow scattering. Moreover, it is shown that the essential features of the classical analysis remain valid in a quantum-mechanical treatment of the system in terms of its phase-space Husimi distribution. The degree of phase-space localization is characterized by the coarse-grained Renyi entropy. Transient phase-space localization is demonstrated experimentally using extreme redshifted $m=0$ potassium Stark states in the $n=351$ manifold and a short probe pulse. The experimental data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. The localized state provides an excellent starting point for further control and manipulation of the electron wave packet.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.67.063401

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Physical Review Letters•May 20, 1996•121 citations
We demonstrate that strong transient phase-space localization can be achieved by the application of a single impulsive ``kick'' in the form of a short (600 ps) unidirectional electric-field pulse to a strongly polarized, quasi-one-dimensional Rydberg atom. The underlying classical dynamics is analyzed and it is shown that phase-space localization results from a focusing effect analogous to rainbow scattering. Moreover, it is shown that the essential features of the classical analysis remain valid in a quantum-mechanical treatment of the system in terms of its phase-space Husimi distribution. The degree of phase-space localization is characterized by the coarse-grained Renyi entropy. Transient phase-space localization is demonstrated experimentally using extreme redshifted m=0m=0m=0 potassium Stark states in the n=351n=351n=351 manifold and a short probe pulse. The experimental data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. The localized state provides an excellent starting point for further control and manipulation of the electron wave packet.
We show that dynamics can, in general, be used to enhance the coherence of a Hamiltonian ensemble and we analyze the transient coherence using the coarse-grained entropy. We illustrate this concept using a Rydberg atom subject to an impulsive momentum transfer or ``kick.'' Classical simulations predict that the wave packet generated by the kick undergoes strong transient phase-space localization, which forms an excellent starting point for its further control and manipulation. Moreover, we show that such localized states can be ``trapped'' for extended periods using a train of subsequent kicks.
Rydberg wave packets generated by a single half-cycle pulse (HCP) interacting with a stationary Rydberg state periodically localize within a narrow region in both momentum and coordinate space (i.e., phase space). This property is the key to shaping and manipulating wave packets. We investigate the dependence of this transient localization and focusing on the principal quantum number n and on the strength of the ultrashort HCP (``kick strength,'' $\ensuremath{\Delta}p).$ It is shown that the localization in momentum space of the wave packet, quantified by the momentum width, obeys a universal scaling rule which is controlled by an effective Planck constant ${\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}_{\mathrm{eff}}.$ Maximum focusing is reached in the classical limit $({\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0).$
We study the three-dimensional (3D) unidirectionally kicked Rydberg atom. For parabolic initial states elongated in the direction of the kicks we show that the ionization of the quantum system is suppressed as compared to the classical counterpart and that the quantum wave function is localized along all degrees of freedom, whereas the classical system is globally diffusive. We discuss the connection to the previously studied one-dimensional (1D) model of the kicked Rydberg atom and verify that the 1D model is a good approximation to the 3D quantum case in the limiting case of the most elongated initial states. We further study the quantum phase-space distribution (Husimi distribution) of the eigenstates of the period-one time-evolution (Floquet) operator and show that the eigenstates are localized in phase space. For the most elongated parabolic initial state, we are able to identify the unstable periodic orbits around which Floquet states localize. We discuss the possibility of observing quantum localization in high Rydberg states in n>100.n>100.n>100.
We study the three-dimensional (3D) unidirectionally kicked Rydberg atom. For parabolic initial states elongated in the direction of the kicks we show that the ionization of the quantum system is suppressed as compared to the classical counterpart and that the quantum wave function is localized along all degrees of freedom, whereas the classical system is globally diffusive. We discuss the connection to the previously studied one-dimensional (1D) model of the kicked Rydberg atom and verify that the 1D model is a good approximation to the 3D quantum case in the limiting case of the most elongated initial states. We further study the quantum phase-space distribution (Husimi distribution) of the eigenstates of the period-one time-evolution (Floquet) operator and show that the eigenstates are localized in phase space. For the most elongated parabolic initial state, we are able to identify the unstable periodic orbits around which Floquet states localize. We discuss the possibility of observing quantum localization in high Rydberg states in ng100.ng100.ng100.
The characteristics of strongly-polarized quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) Rydberg atoms produced by photoexcitation of selected Stark states in the n = 350 Stark manifold are investigated by studying their ionization when subject to sub-nanosecond unidirectional electric field pulses, termed half-cycle pulses (HCPs), directed both parallel and perpendicular to the atomic axis. The observed differences in the ionization characteristics provide a measure of the anisotropy of the momentum distribution and thus of the quasi-1D nature of the states. The response of such states to a train of HCPs directed parallel and anti-parallel to the axis of polarization of the initial state is also investigated. Pronounced differences in the survival probability are observed confirming theoretical predictions that the dynamical response of the system will be very different for these two conditions. The presence of noise is also observed to play a crucial role in the dynamics. Reasonable agreement between experiment and theory is achieved.
Ultrashort, nearly unipolar electric field pulses are used to produce novel dynamic states in Rydberg atoms. A single 500 fsec field pulse redistributes essentially all of the population from a single stationary Rydberg state to hundreds of different final states. The dynamic evolution of the nonstationary wave packet is monitored using a second, time-delayed pulse. The time-dependent momentum-space probability distribution of the wave packet can be retrieved experimentally using a classical impulse approximation.