Mandal, PankajSpeck, A2010-02-082010Mandal, Pankaj, Andrew Speck. 2010. Half-cycle-pulse-train induced state redistribution of Rydberg atoms. Physical Review A 81(1): 013401.1050-2947http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3627543Population transfer between low-lying Rydberg states independent of the initial state is realized using a train of half-cycle pulses with pulse durations much shorter than the classical orbital period. We demonstrate experimentally the population transfer from initial states around n=50 with 10% of the population de-excited down to n<40 as well as up to the continuum. This is a demonstration of a state-independent de-excitation technique applicable to the currently produced state distribution of antihydrogen. The measured population transfer matches well to a model of the process for one-dimensional atoms.en-USJournal Article2010-02-0810.1103/PhysRevA.81.013401