Destruction of quantum coherence and stochastic ionization of Rydberg electrons by fluctuating laser fields.

It is shown that diffusion and stochastic ionization of an optically excited Rydberg electron are generic long time phenomena which are consequences of the destruction of quantum coherence by laser fluctuations. Quantitatively these novel fluctuation-induced phenomena are characterized by non-exponential time evolutions whose power law dependences can be determined analytically. It is demonstrated that the competition between stochastic ionization and autoionization may lead to interesting new effects.