Charge-transfer rates for xenon Rydberg atoms at a metal surface

Abstract

The ionization of xenon Rydberg atoms excited to the lowest states in the $n=17$ and $n=20$ Stark manifolds at a flat $\mathrm{Au}(111)$ surface is investigated. Despite the strong perturbations in the energies and structure of the atomic states that occur as the surface is approached, it is shown that, under appropriate conditions, each incident atom can be detected as an ion and that the experimental data can be well fit by assuming that the ionization rate on average increases exponentially as the surface is approached. The ionization rates are compared to theoretical predictions.