Dynamical characteristics of Rydberg electrons released by a weak electric field

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of ultra-slow Rydberg electrons in combined ionic and electric fields, revealing characteristic momentum spectra detectable with high-resolution spectroscopy, advancing understanding of electron dynamics in weak fields.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of Rydberg electron dynamics in combined potentials and proposes experimental detection methods with high energy resolution.

Findings

Characteristic momentum spectrum identified

Spectral features are orientation-independent

Detection feasible with 1 meV energy resolution

Abstract

The dynamics of ultra-slow electrons in the combined potential of an ionic core and a static electric field is discussed. With state-of-the-art detection it is possible to create such electrons through strong intense-field photo-absorption and to detect them via high-resolution time-of-flight spectroscopy despite their very low kinetic energy. The characteristic feature of their momentum spectrum, which emerges at the same position for different laser orientations, is derived and could be revealed experimentally with an energy resolution of the order of 1meV.