Use of autoionization to measure microwave-driven transitions between high-n strontium Rydberg states

Abstract

The use of autoionization as a tool to quantitatively analyze transitions between high-n strontium Rydberg states with low-to-intermediate values of L is described and is demonstrated through observations of Rabi oscillations when driving 5snf 1F3 → 5s(n + 1)g 1G4, 5snf 1F3 → 5s(n + 2)h 1H5, and 5snp 1P1 → 5s(n + 1)d 1D2 transitions using microwave fields. The technique is shown to offer advantages when compared to selective field ionization and can be used with other alkaline-earth and alkaline-earth-like metals.