Ionization of Na Rydberg Atoms by Subpicosecond Quarter-Cycle Circularly Polarized Pulses
نویسندگان
چکیده
We report the first observation of ionization of Rydberg atoms by subpicosecond, circularly polarized THz radiation. The field amplitude in these pulses is non-negligible for only one-quarter of an optical cycle. The experiment is performed in the short-pulse regime, where the duration of the ionizing pulse is shorter than the classical Kepler period of the Rydberg electron. We find that the ionization probability for these atoms is remarkably insensitive to the time-varying polarization of the THz field.
منابع مشابه
Ionization of Rydberg wave packets by subpicosecond, half-cycle electromagnetic pulses.
We have studied the ionization of Rydberg wave packets by subpicosecond, nearly unipolar electromagnetic field pulses, in the regime where the duration of the electric field is less than the classical Kepler orbit time 2pn3 for the wave packet. In contrast to the subpicosecond optical pulses, subpicosecond field pulses can ionize wave packets when the probability density near the inner turning ...
متن کاملEffects of imperfect unipolarity on the ionization of Rydberg atoms by subpicosecond half-cycle pulses.
In recent experiments [1,2], Rydberg atoms have been exposed to ultrashort, electric-field pulses. The electric field in these pulses is nearly unipolar, and has a temporal shape which resembles one-half of a cycle of THz-band radiation [3]. In the experiments [1,2], the 0.5-psec dura tion of these "half-cycle pulses" (HCPs), 1"HCP' is shorter than or comparable to the classical Kepler period ...
متن کاملIonization of oriented elliptic Rydberg states by half-cycle pulses
Recently sources of subpicosecond, unipolar ‘‘halfcycle’’ electromagnetic field pulses have been developed and employed to study the ionization of Rydberg atoms. These half-cycle pulses ~HCP! were used first to study the ionization of Rydberg atoms with well-defined angular momentum quantum numbers @1#. More recently HCP have been used also to study the ionization of extreme parabolic states or...
متن کامل2 00 9 Ionization of Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation
We have studied ionization of alkali-metal Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation (BBR). The results of theoretical calculations of ionization rates of Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs Rydberg atoms are presented. The calculations have been performed for nS, nP and nD states for principal quantum numbers n=8-65 at ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K. The calculations take into account the contributions...
متن کاملar X iv : p hy si cs / 0 70 21 92 v 1 22 F eb 2 00 7 Ionization of Sodium and Rubidium n S , n P and n D Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation
Results of theoretical calculations of ionization rates of Rb and Na Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation (BBR) are presented. Calculations have been performed for nS, nP and nD states of Na and Rb, which are commonly used in a variety of experiments, at principal quantum numbers n=8-65 and at three ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K. A peculiarity of our calculations is that we take int...
متن کامل