Highly excited atomic states

Scott G. Leslie, J. T. Verdeyen, W. Millar

Fluorescence from highly excited atomic states has been observed in cesium vapor irradiated by a dye laser tuned to either one of the 62S–72P transitions. The emission originated from levels as high as 1 eV above the state being pumped. The high-lying states are believed to be excited by an electronic energy transfer induced in a collision of two atoms occupying lower excited levels.

Harold J. Metcalf

Ian Colin Percival, T. R. Carson

M. Allegrini, E. Arimondo, E. Menchi +6 more

With the use of two-step laser excitation, it is shown that the state distributions of highly excited barium atoms are substantially altered by inelastic collisions with barium atoms. For ``pure'' Rydberg states the initially produced ns or nd eigenstates are rapidly mixed with nearly degenerate n'l' states. For initially produced states that may be viewed as admixtures of Rydberg and doubly excited independent-electron eigenstates, collisions convert the distribution to one with nearly pure, albeit state-mixed, Rydberg character. Broadening of the absorption profiles of the highly excited states is also observed. This effect results from quasistatic interaction between two highly excited atoms during the excitation. Beyond a critical excited-atom density, avalanche effects lead to an apparent narrowing of these profiles which subsequently broaden at still higher atom density.

Борис М. Смирнов

The properties of highly excited atoms are examined. Methods for producing and detecting such atoms are analyzed. Various processes that involve atoms in Rydberg states are described, including transitions between high-lying excited states induced by collisions with electrons and atoms, quenching by electrons and atoms, ionization by collisions with electrons, atoms, and molecules, charge exchange with ions, and so on.

Harold J. Metcalf