In this contribution we experimentally demonstrate 100% population transfer in an atomic model system. In a three-step ladder in rubidium we achieved full population transfer from the electronic ground state (5s) to the final state 5d. As a next step towards molecular dissociation we performed experiments on multiphoton ionization of Rydberg atoms with a FIR free electron laser, and observed four-photon ionization in which all intermediate steps are resonant.

Cham: Springer
P.F. Barbara , W.H. Knox , G.A. Mourou , A.H. Zewail

Noordam, L. D., Balling, P., Broers, B., Hoogenraad, J. H., Maas, D. J., van Amersfoort, P. W., … Vrijen, R. B. (1994). Climbing a ladder system by frequency-chirped laser pulses. In P. F. Barbara, W. H. Knox, G. A. Mourou, & A. H. Zewail (Eds.), Ultrafast Phenomena IX : Proceedings of the 9th International Conference, Dana Point, CA, May 2-6,1994 (pp. 223–227).