Meaning of circular state | Babel Free

Definitions

Any of those quantum states of an atom, which has a high principal quantum number n, and a magnetic quantum number m_l with the maximum possible magnitude, |m_l|=n-1.

Examples

“[…] [T]he selection rules on the Auger and X-ray transition probabilities tend to populate preferentially the circular states, that is those for which the orbital angular momentum l is given by l#61;n-1.”

“We report the production of a population of atoms in a Rydberg state with #124;m#124;#61;n-1, where m and n are the magnetic and principal quantum numbers, respectively. We designate these states as "circular" because in the classical limit they describe an electron in a circular orbit. Among all the states with a given principal quantum number, the circular states have the largest magnetic moment, smallest Stark effect, and longest radiative lifetime.”

“So-called circular states with the maximal angular momentum L#61;n-1 can have lifetimes exceeding 100 s, 10⁶ times longer than those of low-L states, in appropriately engineered environments.”

CEFR level