Resonant charge transfer of hydrogen Rydberg atoms incident at a Cu(100) projected band-gap surface

TL;DR

This study investigates how hydrogen Rydberg atoms undergo resonant charge transfer at a Cu(100) surface with a projected bandgap, revealing periodic resonance effects and velocity-dependent ionization dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the resonance enhancement of charge transfer due to image states on a bandgap surface, a phenomenon not observed on fully metallic surfaces.

Findings

Resonant charge transfer occurs when Rydberg energy matches image state energy.

Surface ionization signals show periodic resonance as a function of principal quantum number.

Velocity influences ionization distance and the shape of ionization profiles.

Abstract

The charge transfer (ionization) of hydrogen Rydberg atoms (principal quantum number $n=25-34$) incident at a Cu(100) surface is investigated. Unlike fully metallic surfaces, where the Rydberg electron energy is degenerate with the conduction band of the metal, the Cu(100) surface has a projected bandgap at these energies, and only discrete image states are available through which charge transfer can take place. Resonant enhancement of charge transfer is observed at hydrogen principal quantum numbers for which the Rydberg energy matches the energy of one of the image states. The integrated surface ionization signals show clear periodicity as the energies of states with increasing $n$ come in and out of resonance with the image states. The velocity dependence of the surface ionization dynamics is also investigated. Decreased velocity of the incident H atom leads to a greater mean distance of ionization and a lower field required to extract the ion. The surface-ionization profiles (signal versus applied field) for `on resonance' $n$ values show a changing shape as the velocity is changed, reflecting the restriction of the resonance to a certain range of applied field.