https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530050145
Microwave ionization of Rydberg states of the barium ion
1
Max-Born-Institut for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy,
12489 Berlin, Germany
2
Fachhochschule Furtwangen, 78120 Furtwangen, Germany
3
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA
4
Technical University Berlin, 10268 Berlin, Germany
Corresponding author: a eichmann@mbi-berlin.de
Received:
17
September
1996
Revised:
6
April
1998
Accepted:
8
April
1998
Published online: 15 July 1998
We have investigated the electric field ionization of highly excited (ns)
and (nd) Rydberg states of the barium ion by microwave fields. For states
with a principal quantum number 
the observed microwave ionization
threshold fields show the 
dependence expected on the basis of
previously observed ionization of neutral Rydberg states with Z=1. We show
that for states in this n regime microwave ionization is a state selective
detection technique. Threshold fields for states with n> 40, however,
depart from the expected behaviour, the thresholds become broader and shift
to higher fields. For a total of 58 states we present the field strengths
where 90% , 50% and 10% ionization occur.
PACS: 31.50.+w – Excited states / 32.30.Jc – Visible and ultraviolet spectra / 32.80.Rm – Multiphoton ionization and excitation to highly excited states (e.g., Rydberg states)
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 1998
