Electric-field-induced dissociation of heavy Rydberg ion-pair states

A classical trajectory Monte Carlo approach is used to simulate the dissociation of H+ center dot center dot center dot F- and K+ center dot center dot center dot Cl- heavy Rydberg ion pairs induced by a ramped electric field, a technique used experimentally to detect and probe ion-pair states. Simulations that include the effects of the strong short-range repulsive interaction associated with ion-pair scattering are in good agreement with experimental results for Stark wavepackets probed by a ramped field, demonstrating that many of the characteristics of field-induced dissociation can be well described using a quasi-classical model. The data also show that states with a given value of principal quantum number (i.e., binding energy) can dissociate over a broad range of applied fields, the exact field being governed by the initial orbital angular momentum and orientation of the state. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3581832]