Numerical Simulation of Laser Pulse Interaction With Circular Quantum Rydberg States of the Hydrogen Atom

Abstract

The electron behavior of the circular Rydberg state 5g(m=4) have been investigated under the influence of circularly polarized laser fields, by solving the Schrödinger equation numerically. Ionization dynamics were studied for fields that co- and counter-rotated the motion of the electron, and in both cases atomic stabilization were observed in a limited intensity regime. Angular distributions from both the co- and counter-rotating fields were found to be consistent with the single-photon selection rules given in [1]. Investigations were also performed using a field that rotated perpendicular to the plane of the 5g(m=4) electron distribution.