P. Nordlander et Fb. Dunning, INTERACTION OF RYDBERG ATOMS WITH SURFACES - ELECTRON-TUNNELING PROCESSES, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 125(1-4), 1997, pp. 300-304
The interaction of atomic Rydberg states with surfaces in the presence
of an external electric field is being investigated with an ab initio
theory to gain new insights into the behavior of atomic states near s
urfaces and to evaluate their use as an experimental probe of electron
tunneling processes at surfaces. The present calculations reveal that
as Rydberg atoms approach a clean metal surface strong hybridization
occurs that depends on both the atom-surface separation and the applie
d electric field. The electron probability density for some hybridized
states is maximal toward the surface, for others toward vacuum. The c
alculated tunneling rates (widths) are orders of magnitude larger for
states oriented toward the surface. Also, theory is presented showing
that electron tunneling rates can be changed significantly by the pres
ence of a thin dielectric overlayer at the surface.