  We study the time dependence of the ionization probability of Rydberg atoms
driven by a microwave field, both in classical and in quantum mechanics. The
quantum survival probability follows the classical one up to the Heisenberg
time and then decays algebraically as P(t) ~ 1/t. This decay law derives from
the exponentially long times required to escape from some region of the phase
space, due to tunneling and localization effects. We also provide parameter
values which should allow to observe such decay in laboratory experiments.
