Abstract
A short microwave pulse is used to ionize a lithium Rydberg wave packet launched from the core at a well-defined phase of the field. We observe a strong dependence on the relative phase between the motion of the wave packet and the oscillations of the field. This phase dependent ionization is also studied as a function of the relative frequency. Our experimental observations are in good qualitative agreement with a one-dimensional classical model of wave packet ionization.
- Received 22 December 2000
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.043001
©2001 American Physical Society