Trap assisted creation of giant molecules and Rydberg-mediated coherent charge transfer in a Penning trap

TL;DR

This paper explores the creation of giant molecules and coherent charge transfer between ions in a Penning trap, highlighting the role of Rydberg states and electron tunneling at high excitation levels.

Contribution

It demonstrates the formation of delocalized Rydberg states in a two-ion Penning trap and discusses conditions for coherent charge transfer via electron tunneling.

Findings

Existence of giant molecular states with delocalized electrons.

Coherent charge transfer occurs through electron tunneling at high quantum numbers.

Electron tunneling times are faster than nuclear motion and radiative decay.

Abstract

We study two ions confined in a Penning trap. We show that electronically highly excited states exist in which an electron is delocalized among the two ions forming a giant molecule of several micrometer size. At energies close to the top of the Coulomb barrier these molecular states can be regarded as superpositions of Rydberg states of individual ions. We illuminate the possibility to observe coherent charge transfer between the ions. Beyond a critical principal quantum number the electron can coherently tunnel through the Coulomb barrier to an adjacent doubly charged ion. The tunneling occurs on timescales on which the dynamics of the nuclei can be considered frozen and radiative decay can be neglected.