Abstract

A series of calculations are presented showing the response of an atom to a picosecond laser pulse that simultaneously excites a number of Rydberg states. A coherent electron wave packet is formed. The packet may disperse and reform repeatedly as its center moves along a classical orbit. The repeated acceleration and deceleration of the wave packet as it moves around the orbit leads to a corresponding variation in the radiation rate of the atom. The result is a complicated pattern of multilevel quantum beats. Examples are shown for various excitation frequencies and pulse durations. Experimental implications are discussed.

© 1985 Optical Society of America