Stark structure in Rydberg states of xenon

We have studied the Stark effect for the bound Rydberg states of xenon ${(}^2$ ${\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}$ core) in the vicinity of n=17. These are the first detailed measurements of Rydberg-state Stark structure in a heavy rare-gas atom. The experiment was performed by one-photon laser spectroscopy from the metastable 6s’ ${\left[\mathrm{}\right(1/2\left)\mathrm{}\right]}_0$ state in an atomic beam. Laser polarization can be chosen to excite pure M=0 or ‖M‖=1 levels. Stark maps are presented for electric fields from 0 to 2000 V/cm. The major low-field features are a prominent linear manifold for states with l≥3 and an isolated group of states arising from mixing within the overlapping p and d terms. A simple model of the p,d complex, showing strong mixing at fields as low as 200 V/cm, is used to correlate observed states with the zero-field states. The spectra become exceedingly complex for fields greater than 1000 V/cm because of mixing within the extensive fine structure of xenon.