Abstract
Collisions of trapped atoms occur over time intervals that are often longer than radiative lifetimes. This leads to radiative interruption of excited-state collision dynamics and constrains collisional interactions to atom pairs that are in close proximity at the time of excitation. Using classical dynamics I show that this causes Na associative ionization to be dominated by a four-step process in which the longer-range ${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$-Na interaction initiates inward motion that is completed as ${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$+${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}^{\mathrm{\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}}$+e. Thus low-temperature associative ionization does not result from ${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$+${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ collisions. I predict strong single- and two-wavelength dependences, which have a molecular character due to the close proximity at the time of photoabsorption. These are amenable to experimental observation. I also calculate saturation that results from the depletion of interacting pairs. This produces very-low-power saturation and explains the associative ionization measurements of Gould et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 788 (1988)].
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More From: Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
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