Heidelberg 2015 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 12: Ultra-cold plasmas and Rydberg systems I (with Q)

A 12.4: Talk

Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 11:45–12:00, C/kHS

Hybridization of Rydberg orbitals by molecule formation — •Anita Gaj, Alexander T. Krupp, Philipp Ilzhöfer, Thomas Schmid, Robert Löw, Sebastian Hofferberth, and Tilman Pfau — University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

The bond in ultralong-range Rydberg molecules results from scattering between a Rydberg electron and ground state atoms in an ultracold gas. In our setup we can selectively excite rovibrational states of D-state molecules. We study their binding energies and the shape of the binding potential at the crossing of two m_j states in an external electric field. The degeneracy of the electronic orbitals leads to stronger binding energies and new symmetries of the bound molecular states. As a consequence the Rydberg orbitals hybridize due to the molecular bond.