Rydberg hydrogen atom near a metallic surface: Stark regime and ionization dynamics

  1. Iñarrea, M. 1
  2. Lanchares, V. 1
  3. Palacián, J.F. 2
  4. Pascual, A.I. 1
  5. Salas, J.P. 1
  6. Yanguas, P. 2
  1. 1 Universidad de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/0553yr311

  2. 2 Universidad Pública de Navarra
    info

    Universidad Pública de Navarra

    Pamplona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02z0cah89

Revista:
Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

ISSN: 1050-2947

Any de publicació: 2007

Volum: 76

Número: 5

Pàgines: 52903

Tipus: Article

DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVA.76.052903 SCOPUS: 2-s2.0-36348952516 WoS: WOS:000251326400088 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Altres publicacions en: Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

Resum

We investigate the classical dynamics of a hydrogen atom near a metallic surface in the presence of a uniform electric field. To describe the atom-surface interaction we use a simple electrostatic image model. Owing to the axial symmetry of the system, the z -component of the canonical angular momentum P is an integral and the electronic dynamics is modeled by a two degrees of freedom Hamiltonian in cylindrical coordinates. The structure and evolution of the phase space as a function of the electric field strength is explored extensively by means of numerical techniques of continuation of families of periodic orbits and Poincaré surfaces of section. We find that, due to the presence of the electric field, the atom is strongly polarized through two consecutive pitchfork bifurcations that strongly change the phase space structure. Finally, by means of the phase space transition state theory and the classical spectral theorem, the ionization dynamics of the atom is studied. © 2007 The American Physical Society.