Rydbergstillstånd

Rydberg states are highly excited states of atoms or molecules. In these states, one or more electrons are in very large orbits around the nucleus, meaning they have very high principal quantum numbers (n). These large orbits are often referred to as Rydberg atoms. The size of the electron's orbit is proportional to n squared, so as n increases, the atom becomes significantly larger.

The energy levels of Rydberg states are very closely spaced, and their properties are well-described by the Rydberg formula, which relates the energy of the electron to the principal quantum number. This formula shows that the energy difference between adjacent Rydberg levels decreases as n increases. Rydberg states are characterized by their large size, long lifetimes, and strong dipole moments.

These states are typically generated by exciting atoms or molecules with lasers. Due to their large size and high polarizability, Rydberg atoms interact strongly with external electric and magnetic fields, as well as with other atoms or molecules. This makes them useful for studying a variety of physical phenomena, including quantum chaos, atomic collisions, and coherent matter-wave interference. Their properties also make them candidates for applications in quantum computing and quantum information processing.