  We study the role of intermediate excitations of Rydberg states as an example
of Kuchiev's "atomic antenna" in above-threshold ionization of xenon, in
particular their effect on the coherence between the spin-orbit-split states of
the ion. We focus on the case of a laser frequency close to resonant with the
spin-orbit splitting, where a symmetry (parity) argument would preclude any
coherence being directly generated by strong-field ionization. Using ab initio
simulations of coupled multielectron spin-orbit dynamics in strong laser
fields, we show how field-driven rescattering of the trapped Rydberg electrons
introduces efficient coupling between the spin-orbit-split channels, leading to
substantial coherences, exceeding 10 % for some photon energies.
