Studying magnetic circular vortex dichroism effect for photoionization of Rydberg atoms with vortex photons

Abstract

Rydberg atoms, renowned for their exceptional quantum properties, hold significant importance in quantum physics. The photoionization of Rydberg atoms serves as a critical tool for probing their unique characteristics. In this work, we investigate the photoionization dynamics of hydrogen-like Rydberg alkali atoms interacting with vortex photons-a class of structured light carrying intrinsic orbital angular momentum. This process gives rise to novel quantum phenomena distinct from conventional photoionization processes. Our results reveal that vortex photons exhibit exceptional sensitivity to the magnetic moments of Rydberg atoms, positioning them as a powerful spectroscopic tool for investigating Rydberg magnetism. It is also demonstrated that the initial photon energy must be carefully selected to observe significant experimental results. Furthermore, the photoionization process displays strong angular momentum selectivity, preferentially favoring configurations where the photon total angular momentum and atomic magnetic moment are aligned. This pronounced asymmetry directly manifests the chiral nature of the vortex photon-Rydberg atom collisions.