Rydberg atomic antenna in strongly driven multielectron atoms

Abstract

We study the role of intermediate excitations of Rydberg states as an example of Kuchiev's ``atomic antenna'' in above-threshold ionization of xenon, in particular their effect on the coherence between the spin-orbit-split states of the ion. We focus on the case of a laser frequency close to resonant with the spin-orbit splitting, where a symmetry (parity) argument would preclude any coherence being directly generated by strong-field ionization. Using ab initio simulations of coupled multielectron spin-orbit dynamics in strong laser fields, we show how field-driven rescattering of the trapped Rydberg electrons introduces efficient coupling between the spin-orbit-split channels, leading to substantial coherences, exceeding 10% for some photon energies.