Ground-state energy eigenvalues for an electron in a stationary finite electric-dipole field are calculated by a novel variational approach. The physical model is taken to be a perturbed hydrogen atom. Accurate energy eigenvalues are obtained for a large range of dipole moments. The simple variational functions used compare favorably with more nearly exact eigenfunctions obtained in complex calculations.

• Received 27 July 1970

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.3.13