Controlling nonspreading wavepackets

We show how a static electric field can be used to control the localization of nonspreading wavepackets of a hydrogen atom driven by a linearly polarized microwave field. This allows for creation of wavepackets localized on fully stable resonance islands which, at the same time, can easily be excited by a direct optical transition from a low lying state. A semiclassical analysis is used to predict the energies and properties of such states. Received: 27 November 1997 / Accepted: 27 January 1998     

Triply excited three-electron systems--semiclassical model

We calculate rovibronic intrashell spectra of the triply highly excited atomic hydrogen dianion, helium anion and lithium atom, within a simple semiclassical model. Zero-order electronic energy levels and half-lives are calculated for a number of principal quantum numbers and approximate thresholds for the appearance of vibronic modes are estimated. Since no quantum-mechanical and experimental data are available for the highly excited levels (N > 5), where the semiclassical models apply, no comparison with other results are possible at present. The problem of comparing semiclassical and quantum-mechanical calculations for moderately large quantum numbers, which seem attainable by the present day experimental technique, has been discussed. Received: 16 September 1998 / Received in final form: 16 March 1999     

Phase properties of a Jaynes-Cummings model with Stark shift and Kerr medium

Phase properties of the field interacting with a two-level atom in a lossless cavity Jaynes-Cummings model, taking into account the level shifts produced by Stark effect with an additional Kerr medium for one-mode are studied using the phase formalism of Pegg and Barnett. It is shown in particular that phase properties of the field reflect the collapse and revival phenomena. The results for the time evolution of the phase probability distribution and the phase fluctuations are obtained. The effect of Stark shift on the phase properties in both the absence and presence of a Kerr medium is analyzed. Phase localization is found for certain choice of the parameters. Received: 27 March 1998 / Revised: 8 June 1998 / Accepted: 9 June 1998     

Ionization of Rydberg atoms in THz-laser fields at the transition from low to high scaled frequencies

We have studied the ionization of Rydberg-excited xenon atoms in THz-laser fields and by quantum dynamical calculations. The experimental threshold laser field strength for 10% ionization probability follows an n^*-1.68 (1.04 THz) dependence (n^* effective principal quantum number) with additional weak resonance structures and shows that ionization does not occur by a Landau-Zener mechanism. At scaled frequencies of to 5.6 the simulated threshold fields for ionization in oscillatory fields show a dependence on the principal quantum number n of n^-4.1 to n^-1.35. Received: 17 February 1998 / Revised: 20 April 1998 / Accepted: 21 April 1998     

Floquet theory for short laser pulses

We develop adiabatic perturbation theory for quantum systems responding to short laser pulses, with or without a frequency chirp. Our approach rests on lifting the time-dependent Schr?dinger equation to an extended Hilbert space, then applying standard perturbational techniques to Floquet states in this extended space, and finally projecting back to the physical Hilbert space. The same strategy also allows us to construct superadiabatic bases for monitoring the quantum evolution in the course of a pulse. These bases provide a diagnostic tool for improving the efficiency of pulse-induced population transfer. The formalism is applied to the selective excitation of molecular vibrational states by chirped laser pulses, which exploit either successive single-photon resonances or a multiphoton resonance, and by a STIRAP-like process. Received: 23 June 1998 / Revised: 18 August 1998 / Accepted: 25 August 1998     

Polarisation effect of laser field in inelastic electron - hydrogen collisions

We study the influence of the laser polarization on the electron impact excitation of atomic hydrogen. Our method takes into account the “dressing” of the target states by including the laser-atom interaction to first order time-dependent perturbation theory, while the interaction of the laser field with the incident electron is treated to all orders by using the non relativist Volkov function. The interaction of the fast projectile with the target atom is treated in the first Born approximation. The calculations are performed via two distinct computations. The first one is based on a direct calculation, the second based on a Sturmian approach. Important differences appear between the angular distributions depending on the polarization chosen. Received : 17 february 1998 / Revised : 20 july 1998 / Accepted : 2 september 1998     

Resonance fluorescence spectrum of a three-level atom driven by coherent and stochastic fields

The dressed-state populations and the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a V-type three-level atom driven by a strong coherent field and a weak stochastic one simultaneously are investigated. There can be significant population inversion due to the effect of the stochastic field. The atomic resonance fluorescence spectrum can be controlled by adjusting the frequency difference between the coherent field and the stochastic one and the coherent Rabi frequency. Peak suppression and line narrowing occur under appropriate conditions. Received 23 June 2000 and Received in final form 18 January 2001     

Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) and REMPI-photoelectron spectroscopy of ammonia

Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy, preferably linked with kinetic energy analysis of the resulting photoelectrons (REMPI-photoelectron spectroscopy (PES)), continues to make enormous contributions to our understanding of the spectroscopy and, in many cases, the decay dynamics of small molecules in excited (normally Rydberg) electronic states. Here we present results of recent REMPI and REMPI-PES studies involving the ammonia molecule which provide further illustration of some of the many opportunities offered by these techniques. Received: 28 January 1998 / Revised: 3 April 1998 / Accepted: 15 April 1998     

Inelastic neutron scattering study of the dynamics of the AlNiCo decagonal phase

The dynamics of the decagonal AlNiCo phase has been investigated on a single-grain quasicrystalline sample using inelastic neutron scattering. The decagonal structure can be viewed as a periodic stacking of quasiperiodic planes. The anisotropy between the modes propagating in the periodic and quasiperiodic directions is found to be much weaker than theoretically predicted. A strong resonance splitting is observed at an energy transfer of 15 meV for transverse modes polarized in the quasiperiodic plane. Received: 18 November 1998 / Accepted: 27 November 1998     

Electrodynamic trap for neutral atoms

An electrodynamic trap is proposed that stores cold neutral atoms or nonpolar molecules in their ground state as well as in excited states by means of the quadratic Stark effect. The trap uses an oscillating hexapole field and a superposed static homogeneous field. The dynamics of an atom in this trap can be described as a harmonic oscillation in a static pseudopotential. Stability criteria and sample parameters for a number of atomic species are given. Received: 7 August 1998 / Received in final form: 7 January 1999     

腔场耦合的二能级原子荧光谱

过光与物质相互作用的主方程计算了强场激励的二能级原子与单模腔耦合的稳态荧光谱。在腔场的强耦合作用下,三峰Mollow谱的每个成分都分裂为多重的,这种现象由腔场使原子修饰态能级漂移而导致的,荧光谱的具体结构则依赖于驱动场的拉比频率和原子-腔的耦合系数。     

Jaynes-Cummings-model with damping at resonance

The time evolution of a damped two-level atom coupled to a damped field mode at resonance is calculated analytically as well as numerically in the basis of dressed states. We study the dynamics of the density matrix and of observables, e.g. the number of field quanta. For the initial states we consider the field to be in a Fock or Glauber state and the atom in the ground or excited state. We show the significant influence of the damping on the well-known phenomena of this model, e.g. collapse and revival. Received 22 January 2001 and Received in final form 16 May 2001     

A matter-wave interferometer based on the dc-Stark effect

We present a new separated beam atom interferometer in which the recombination of the atomic wave packet is due to the dc-Stark interaction of an induced atomic dipole with a cylindrically symmetric electric field of a charged wire. The fringe period shows a weak power-law dependence on the de Broglie wavelength and the polarizability of the particles. We present a semiclassical theoretical model for this interferometer which resembles the measured performance of the interferometer without free parameters. A discussion of possible applications of this interferometer for atoms and molecules is given. Received: 20 November 1998 / Published online: 8 September 1999     

Coherent effects under suppressed spontaneous emission

An ensemble of resonance atoms is considered, which are doped into a medium with well developed polariton effect, when in the spectrum of polariton states there is a band gap. If an atom with a resonance frequency inside the polariton gap is placed into the medium, the atomic spontaneous emission is suppressed. However, a system of resonance atoms inside the polariton gap can radiate when their coherent interaction is sufficiently strong. Thus the suppression of spontaneous emission for a single atom can be overcome by a collective of atoms radiating coherently. Conditions when such collective effects can appear and their dynamics are analysed. Received 7 June 2000     

Quantum corrections to the conductance of a square quantum dot with soft confinement

We study the conductance of a square quantum dot, modeling the potential with a self-consistent Thomas-Fermi approximation. The resulting potential is characterized by level statistics indicative of mixed chaotic and regular electron dynamics within the dot in spite of the regular geometry of the gates defining the dot. We calculate numerically, for the case of a quantum dot with soft confinement, the weak localization (WL) correction. We demonstrate that this confining potential may generate either Lorentzian or linear lineshapes depending on the number of modes in the leads. Finally, we present experimental WL data for a lithographically square dot and compare the results with numerical calculations. We analyze the experimental results and numerical simulations in terms of semiclassical and random matrix theory (RMT) predictions and discuss their limitations as far as real experimental structures are concerned. Our results indicate that direct application of the above predictions to distinguish between chaotic and regular dynamics in a particular cavity can not always lead to reliable conclusions as the shape and magnitude of the WL correction can be strongly sensitive to the geometry-specific, non-universal features of the system. Received 13 May 1998     

Photodissociation dynamics of Cl in a xenon cluster

The photodissociation of a chlorine molecule in the environment of a xenon cluster has been studied experimentally using the real time pump and probe technique through the formation of an XeCl reaction product. The photodissociating system is probed in such a way that the movement of a single chlorine atom in the xenon environment is detected. Various Xe_nCl₂ cluster sizes have been investigated leading to the distinction between uncapped, half-capped and doubly capped structures for these clusters. These structures have a profound influence on the photodissociation dynamics. Retrapping of one chlorine atomic fragment and stabilization of the XeCl reaction product is only observed for the half and doubly capped clusters. The experimental work is complemented by classical molecular dynamics calculations to get a full picture of the photodissociation. Received: 17 February 1998 / Received in final form and Accepted: 28 July 1998     

Calculation of Wannier-Bloch and Wannier-Stark states

The paper discusses the metastable states of a quantum particle in a periodic potential under a constant force (the model of a crystal electron in a homogeneous electric field), which are known as the Wannier-Stark ladder of resonances. An efficient procedure to find the positions and widths of resonances is suggested and illustrated by numerical calculations for a cosine potential, which are in excellent agreement with complex scaling resonance energies. Received: 27 April 1998 / Revised: 21 July 1998 / Accepted: 3 August 1998     

Molecular spectra, quantum chaos, and scars

Low resolution features in the spectra of classically chaotic atomic and molecular systems are known to be related to recurrences induced by classical periodic motions. In this paper we study how such characteristics reveal in the LiNC/LiCN isomerizing molecular system, and describe how the transition from regularity to classical chaos that takes place in this system shows up at quantum level in the structure of the corresponding wavefunctions in the form of “scars”. To this end we use some projection techniques, based on the propagation of wave packets, which have been developed in our laboratory. In this way some regions at the border of the chaotic region can be detected, in which the systematics of “scar” formation can be studied at a very elementary level, without complications due to the high level density which are customarily used in this type of studies in order to achieve the semiclassical limit. Received: 16 March 1998 / Revised: 23 April 1998 / Accepted: 4 May 1998