Transporting Rydberg electron wave packets with chirped trains of pulses.
A protocol for steering Rydberg electrons towards targeted final states is realized with the aid of a chirped train of half-cycle pulses (HCPs). Its novel capabilities are demonstrated experimentally by transporting potassium atoms excited to the lowest-lying quasi-one-dimensional states in the n(i)=350 Stark manifold to a narrow range of much higher-n states. We demonstrate that this coherent state transfer is, to a high degree, reversible. The protocol allows for remarkable selectivity and is highly efficient, with typically over 80% of the parent atoms surviving the HCP sequence.
Mestayer
J J
JJ
Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, USA.
Zhao
W
W
Lancaster
J C
JC
Dunning
F B
FB
Reinhold
C O
CO
Yoshida
S
S
Burgdörfer
J
J