Abstract

In microwave ionization of Rydberg atoms the rate limiting step in the ionization process is at electric fields scaling as 1/n⁵.¹ At this field the transition from the initial n to the looser bound n + 1 state occurs. In most experiments the microwave pulses consist of many (~5000) cycles of the field, making it possible to make further upward transitions, n + 1 → n + 2 etc., eventually leading to ionization. Recently experiments have been performed with shorter pulses down to 25 cycles of the microwave field² still showing the first step to be rate limiting.

© 1994 IEEE