Excitation of high orbital angular momentum Rydberg states with Laguerre-Gauss beams

Abstract

We consider the excitation of Rydberg states through photons carrying an intrinsic orbital angular momentum degree of freedom. Laguerre-Gauss modes, with a helical wave-front structure, correspond to such a set of laser beams, which carry some units of orbital angular momentum in their propagation direction. We demonstrate that, in a proper geometrical setting, this orbital angular momentum can be transferred to the internal degrees of freedom of the atoms, thus violating the standard dipolar selection rules. Higher orbital angular momentum states become accessible through a single photon excitation process. We investigate how the spacial structure of the Laguerre-Gauss beam affects the radial coupling strength, assuming the simplest case of hydrogen-like wavefunctions. Finally we discuss a generalization of the angular momentum coupling, in order to include the effects of the fine and hyperfine splitting, in the context of the Wigner-Eckart theorem.

Submitted to J. Phys. B - Special Issue on Cold Rydberg Atoms

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• Two-color above threshold ionization of atoms and ions in XUV Bessel beams and combined with intense laser light
• Circularizing Rydberg atoms with time-dependent optical traps
• Ultraprecise Rydberg atomic localization using optical vortices
• Trapped atoms in spatially-structured vector light fields
• Interaction of a Laguerre-Gaussian beam with Rydberg atoms
• Formation of dark excitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides by a vortex beam: optical selection rules
• Spin Polarization of Photoelectrons in GaAs Excited by Twisted Photons
• Quantum correlations versus spin magnitude: Transition to the classical limit
• Microscopic Rydberg electron orbit manipulation with optical tweezers