Deexcitation of high-Rydberg-state atoms with a chirped train of half-cycle pulses

Abstract

Encouraged by the experiments on production of antihydrogen atoms in high Rydberg states we have calculated the effect of deexcitation towards lower states by a chirped train of identical unidirectional half-cycle pulses. The calculations exploit both the one-dimensional and impulse approximations providing convenient analytical formulas for the Rydberg-to-Rydberg transition amplitudes. The calculated deexcitation is shown in terms of the mean value of localization of the Rydberg wave packet in the coordinate space, the Rydberg-state population distribution, the Husimi phase-space distribution function, and the probability density distribution, each of these measures vs the length of the applied train of half-cycle pulses. The results for chirped trains are compared with those for periodic trains and examples of higher deexcitation efficiency of the chirped trains are given.