Quantum theory of strong-field frustrated tunneling

We show how the strong-field approximation, widely used for description of multiphoton and tunneling ionization, can be extended to analyse the excitation of bound states in intense low-frequency laser pulses. The proposed theory is based on the formalism of quantum trajectories and fills the gap between the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation and classical simulations. In particular, it allows identifying non-adiabatic and interference effects in strong-field excitation of Rydberg states. (paper)