Photoabsorption of Ba and Na in an electric field: Manifestation of strong-field-mixing resonances

Abstract

We have observed large oscillations in the photoabsorption cross sections of Ba and Na in the presence of an electric field. The two-step laser excitation technique allowed the use of various polarization combinations for studying the oscillations in the vicinity of the zero-field ionization limits. Thus, we could for the first time determine the relative contributions from two entirely different theoretical models: The quasibound m=0 states (strong-field-mixing resonances) on the one hand, and symmetry-induced oscillator-strength cancellations on the other. We found that the model of strong-field-mixing resonances alone is able to account for all our experimentally observed cross-section oscillations.