Mikrowelt: Bose-Einstein-Kondensat/Photonenstatistik
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Module: Mikrowelt: Bose-Einstein-Kondensat/Photonenstatistik
Sequence: lev0_start
Branching Point: Particles and Light under Control
Slide: Functional Principle of the Paul Trap
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Rydberg Atoms ...
... are suited for studies into the transition between classical and quantum mechanics, since they have one or more electrons in highly excited states (main quantum number n) - according to the correspondence principle thus
closeto classical orbits.
Under the influence of external fields even the hydrogen electron may exhibit chaotic behaviour in the classical limit.
The figure shows a cross section through the classical phase space of the electron for a highly excited hydrogen atom in a magnetic field (which causes a toroidal motion). The electron posesses a mixed
phase space, with coexisting regular and chaotic motions.
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