LIGHT-INDUCED ATOMIC STATES AND DIABATIC PATHS IN INTENSE LASER FIELDS

   J. C. Wells$^\ast$, I. Simbotin$^\sharp$, and M. Gavrila$^\dag$

  $^\ast$Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
                      Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6203, USA
          $^\sharp$Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest,
            P.O. Box 5211, Bucharest-Magurele, 76900, Romania
          $^\dag$FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics,
             Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The physical reality of light-induced states in atoms exposed to intense laser
fields remained uncertain, since their discovery by Floquet theory. We have
shown that their existence is confirmed by time-dependent wave-packet theory,
and should manifest itself experimentally.  Choosing the initial state such as
to connect to the light-induced states via diabatic Floquet paths enhances the
yield.