Abstract

The phenomenon of "inhibited autoionization”,^1,2 which has recently received considerable attention, occurs whenever the direct autoionization amplitude of a given Rydberg series is cancelled by interference with indirect autoionization through a neighboring perturber state. Inhibited autoionization thus requires at least a three channel system, one open and two closed channels, where it was first observed as dramatic reduction of the linewidth of the autoionizing Rydberg series in the vicinity of the perturber.²

© 1986 Optical Society of America