STARK STRUCTURE OF THE RYDBERG STATES OF ALKALINE-EARTH ATOMS

The Stark effects of the Rydberg states in the alkaline-earth atoms are studied theoretically. Using a method similar to the treatment of alkali atoms, the properties of the Stark states of Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba atoms in the regions far away from the perturbers are investigated. The Stark maps for Mg (n=16, M=0), Ca (n=10, M=0), Sr (n=12, M=0) and Ba (n=13, |M|=0,1) are presented. Topics such as the general methods of calculation, the treatment of fine structure, and the structure of level anti-crossings are discussed. The comparison between the theoretical and experimental Stark maps is satisfactory.