Rydberg states of silver: Excitation dynamics of doped helium droplets

Silver atoms, initially embedded in nanodroplets of superfluid helium (roug hly 10(4) atoms in size), an found to move to the surface and desorb when e xcited to the broadened 5p lever, The absorption of a second photon within less than 10 ns leads to the population of previously unobserved Rydberg st ates (20 < n < 60) of free silver atoms. This is the first result showing l aser induced movement of a foreign atom from the inside to the surface of a nanodroplet of superfluid helium.