Selective Production of Rydberg-Stark States of Positronium
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Rydberg positronium (Ps) atoms have been prepared in selected Stark states via two-step (1s→2p→nd/ns) optical excitation. Two methods have been used to achieve Stark-state selection: a field ionization filter that transmits the outermost states with positive Stark shifts, and state-selected photoexcitation in a strong electric field. The former is demonstrated for n=17 and 18 while the latter is performed for n=11 in a homogeneous electric field of 1.9 kV/cm. The observed spectral intensities and their dependence on the polarization of the laser radiation are in agreement with calculations that include the perturbations of the intermediate n=2 manifold. Our results pave the way for the generation of Rydberg Ps atoms with large electric dipole moments that are required for the realization of schemes to control their motion using inhomogeneous electric fields, an essential feature of some proposed Ps free-fall measurements requiring focused beams of long-lived atoms.
Date Issued
2015-04-28
Date Acceptance
2015-02-04
Citation
Physical Review Letters, 2015, 114 (17)
ISSN
1079-7114
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review Letters
Volume
114
Issue
17
Copyright Statement
This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
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Subjects
General Physics
02 Physical Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
173001