High-angular-momentum states in cold Rydberg gases.
Cold, dense Rydberg gases produced in a cold-atom trap are investigated using spectroscopic methods and time-resolved electron counting. Optical excitation on the discrete Rydberg resonances reveals long-lasting electron emission from the Rydberg gas ( >20 ms). Our observations are explained by lm-mixing collisions between Rydberg atoms and slow electrons that lead to the population of long-lived high-angular-momentum Rydberg states. These atoms thermally ionize slowly and with large probabilities.
Dutta
S K
SK
Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1120, USA.
Feldbaum
D
D
Walz-Flannigan
A
A
Guest
J R
JR
Raithel
G
G