Ion formation in sodium vapor containing Rydberg atoms

1 July 1984

journal article
research article
Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review A

Vol. 30 (1) , 652-654
https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.30.652

Abstract

The formation of

{Na}^{+}

and

{Na}_{2}^{+}

in sodium vapor (∼

10^{11}

10^{13}

{cm}^{- 3}

) containing laser-selected Rydberg atoms

(15 <~ n <~ 35)

has been studied. At low atom densities photoionization, collisional ionization, and associative ionization dominate, but more-complicated mechanisms contribute to the ion yield at higher densities.

Keywords

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