Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: We consider nonadiabatic coupling in the “trilobite”-like long-range Rydberg molecules created by perturbing degenerate high- ℓ Rydberg states with a ground-state atom. Due to the flexibility granted by the high Rydberg level density, the avoided crossings between relevant potential energy curves can become extremely narrow, leading to highly singular nonadiabatic coupling. We find that the gap between the trilobite potential curve and neighboring “butterfly” or “dragonfly” potential curves can even vanish, as in a conical intersection, if the gap closes at an internuclear distance which matches a node of the s -wave radial wave function. This is an unanticipated outcome of Kato's theorem. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Source: Physical Review A
Authors: Matthew T. Eiles, Frederic Hummel
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,675
OpenAlex ID: W4392004466