Nonhydrogenic Effects in the Deceleration of Rydberg Atoms in Inhomogeneous Electric Fields

摘要

Argon atoms in Stark states at n ≈25 have been decelerated and accelerated in inhomogeneous electric fields. The acceleration and deceleration behavior can be understood only by considering the adiabatic Landau-Zener dynamics that take place at the avoided crossings between the Stark states and the limited fluorescence lifetimes of ～10 μs.