J.G. Zeibel, S.N. Pisharody, and R.R. Jones
Abstract:Picosecond half-cycle pulses (HCPs) have been used to examine the effect of transient electric fields on the autoionization of doubly-excited states of calcium. The autoionization yield, following picosecond isolated core excitation (ICE) of 4pnd Rydberg states, has been measured as a function of the relative delay between the transient field and the ICE laser pulse. Using single and multiple HCPs in combination with a static electric field, we explicitly investigate the relative importance of static field induced L-mixing, and transient field excitation of high-L, low-m or high-L, high-m states on the suppression of autoionization. Our experimental results can be understood using semi-classical analyses and are well reproduced by quantum simulations.
Status: Published Phys. Rev. A 67 013409 (2003).