R.R. Jones, D.W. Schumacher, T.F. Gallagher, and P.H. Bucksaum
Abstract:Rydberg states in Sodium are excited using two, identical, broadband, dye laser pulses. Each 8 nsec pulse has a bandwidth of approximately 45cm-1 and Rydberg states with several different principal quantum numbers are simultaneously exicted. The number of Rydberg atoms created by each pulse pair is detected as a function of the delay between the two pulses. Strong modulations in the population in each Rydberg level and in the total Rydberg signal are observed. The oscillations are identical to those which would be expected if two, transform limited, 300 fsec laser pulses had been used. We show explicitly in the limit of weak pulses, that interferograms acquired using the time-domain, Ramsey separated oscillatory fields method are only dependent on the excitation cross-section and pulse frequency spectrum. Therefore, these weak field interferograms give no information on the spacial distribution of the electron wave function. The benefits of using strong or weak pulses for bound-state interferometry are discussed.
Status: Published, J. Phys. B 28, L405 (1995)
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