Excitation of high orbital angular momentum Rydberg states with Laguerre-Gauss beams

Autor(es)

Rodrigues, J. D. ^[1] ; Marcassa, L. G. ^[2] ; Mendonca, J. T. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Nova Lisboa, Inst Plasmas & Fusao Nucl, Inst Super Tecn, P-1049001 Lisbon - Portugal

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, Caixa Postal 369, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS; v. 49, n. 7 APR 14 2016.
• Citações Web of Science: 13

Resumo

We consider the excitation of Rydberg states through photons carrying an intrinsic orbital angular momentum degree of freedom. Laguerre-Gauss modes, with a helical wave-front structure, correspond to such a set of laser beams, which carry l(0) units of orbital angular momentum in their propagation direction, with l(0) the winding number. We demonstrate that, in a proper geometry setting, this orbital angular momentum can be transferred to the internal degrees of freedom of the atoms, thus violating the standard dipole selection rules. Higher orbital angular momentum states become accessible through a single photon excitation process. We investigate how the spacial structure of the Laguerre-Gauss beam affects the radial coupling strength, assuming the simplest case of hydrogen-like wave functions. Finally we discuss a generalization of the angular momentum coupling, in order to include the effects of the fine and hyperfine splitting, in the context of the Wigner-Eckart theorem. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 13/02816-8 - Manipulação de colisões atômicas em armadilhas ópticas
• Beneficiário: Luis Gustavo Marcassa
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático