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Symmetry breaking in crossed magnetic and electric fields

C. Neumann, R. Ubert, S. Freund, E. Floethmann, B. Sheehy, K. H. Welge, M. R. Haggerty, J. B. Delos

physics.atom-pharXiv:physics/9701014

Abstract

We present the first observations of cylindrical symmetry breaking in highly excited diamagnetic hydrogen with a small crossed electric field, and we give a semiclassical interpretation of this effect. As the small perpendicular electric field is added, the recurrence strengths of closed orbits decrease smoothly to a minimum, and revive again. This phenomenon, caused by interference among the electron waves that return to the nucleus, can be computed from the azimuthal dependence of the classical closed orbits.

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