Thursday 12 November 2015

Can Rydberg states exist within the bulk of a metal?


I am aware that outer shell electrons in rubidium atoms in an optical lattice can be excited to Rydberg levels, in which the electrons orbit well beyond the atoms to which they are bound. Is this something that can happen within the bulk of a metal as well?


If this is not something that has been experimentally examined, assume there are one or more straightforward mechanisms that could provide the requisite excitation—naturally occurring alpha or beta emitters, for example.


If Rydberg levels within the bulk of a metal are not possible, why is this the case? If they are possible, how would the electron charge density be affected? In the non-Rydberg case, I understand the d-electron density will be quite low in the interstitial regions. Would this change in the Rydberg case? How long would the excited state last? How would the blockade effect factor in? Can you recommend a suitable approach for modeling the charge density?


(It seems a 1996 paper did some calculations that are relevant here, which I will take a look at. I am still interested in any information that people can provide.)





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