Abstract
Antihydrogen production by charge exchange reaction between positronium (Ps) atoms and antiprotons requires an efficient excitation of Ps atoms up to high- levels (Rydberg levels). In this study it is assumed that a Ps cloud is produced within a relatively strong uniform magnetic field and with a relatively high temperature . Consequently, the structure of energy levels are deeply modified by Zeeman and motional Stark effects. A two-step laser light excitation, the first one from ground to and the second from this level to a Rydberg level, is proposed and the physics of the problem is discussed. We derive a simple formula giving the absorption probability with substantially incoherent laser pulses. A 30% population deposition in high- states can be reached with feasible lasers suitably tailored in power and spectral bandwidth.
- Received 30 June 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.78.052512
©2008 American Physical Society