Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02356-1

Regular Article

Quantum interference effects between radiative and dielectronic recombination of He-like Xe$_{}^{52+}$, W$_{}^{72+}$ and U$_{}^{90+}$ ions

¹ Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 730000, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
² Helmholtz-Institute Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
³ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73000, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
⁵ I. Physikalisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
⁶ Helmholtz Forschungsakademie Hessen für FAIR (HFHF), GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, GmbH, 64291, Darmstadt, Germany
⁷ Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
⁸ Institute of Modern Physics, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-Beam Application (MOE), Fudan University, 200433, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
⁹ GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291, Darmstadt, Germany
¹⁰ Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany

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Received: 21 October 2025
Accepted: 24 April 2026
Published online: 7 May 2026

Abstract

Studying quantum interference in photorecombination (PR) is crucial not only for understanding the spectral line shapes of resonances but also for developing a complete quantum-mechanical formalism that unifies the treatment of radiative recombination (RR) and dielectronic recombination (DR) as interfering pathways. In this work, we present a theoretical study of total PR cross sections for high-Z He-like ions using a relativistic projection-operator formalism, which provides a unified quantum-mechanical description of RR and DR. Detailed calculations are performed for the KLL resonance structures in He-like Xe$_{}^{52+}$, W$_{}^{72+}$, and U$_{}^{90+}$, revealing pronounced interference-induced asymmetries in the PR cross sections. We find that the interference effects of RR and DR occur predominantly at the $K{L}_{12}{L}_3$ resonances in high-Z ions, consistent with previous experimental observations at electron beam ion traps [Tu et al., Phys. Rev. A 93, 032707 (2016)]. These interference effects should also be observable in the total PR cross sections of He-like Xe$_{}^{52+}$, W$_{}^{72+}$, and U$_{}^{90+}$ ions in the electron-ion recombination experiments at storage rings.