Deflection of krypton Rydberg atoms in the field of an electric dipole

Townsend, David; Goodgame, A L; Procter, Simon R.; Mackenzie, Stuart R.; Softley, T. P.

doi:10.1088/0953-4075/34/3/319

Cited by 47 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The first experimental realization was accomplished by Softley and co-workers, who demonstrated the transverse deflection of beams of Rydberg Kr atoms [454] by a dipolar electric field. A few years later, longitudinal acceleration and deceleration of H 2 beams using static electric fields was also achieved, by the same group [455].…”

Section: Manipulation Of Rydberg Atoms With Electric Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental progress in positronium laser physics

2018

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Abstract. The field of experimental positronium physics has advanced significantly in the last few decades, with new areas of research driven by the development of techniques for trapping and manipulating positrons using Surko-type buffer gas traps. Large numbers of positrons (typically ≥10 6 ) accumulated in such a device may be ejected all at once, so as to generate an intense pulse. Standard bunching techniques can produce pulses with ns (mm) temporal (spatial) beam profiles. These pulses can be converted into a dilute Ps gas in vacuum with densities on the order of 10 7 cm −3 which can be probed by standard ns pulsed laser systems. This allows for the efficient production of excited Ps states, including long-lived Rydberg states, which in turn facilitates numerous experimental programs, such as precision optical and microwave spectroscopy of Ps, the application of Stark deceleration methods to guide, decelerate and focus Rydberg Ps beams, and studies of the interactions of such beams with other atomic and molecular species. These methods are also applicable to antihydrogen production and spectroscopic studies of energy levels and resonances in positronium ions and molecules. A summary of recent progress in this area will be given, with the objective of providing an overview of the field as it currently exists, and a brief discussion of some future directions.

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Section: Manipulation Of Rydberg Atoms With Electric Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Longer term plans are being implemented which seek to replicate some of the experiments that have already been conducted in this area (e.g. [338,436,[454][455][456]459,[462][463][464]469]). …”

Section: Stark Deceleration and Trappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental progress in positronium laser physics

2018

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“…This large separation gives the maximally polarised k states a large dipole moment (∼ 1/2nk) which offers a handle to exert a force on a Rydberg atom making the maximal +k states an ideal candidate for spatial manipulation. An inhomogeneous field exerts a force K Stark in the direction of decreasing field, or decreasing energy, with K Stark = −∇E = −∇(µ · F), which allows for deceleration and deflection with small electric fields compared to a ground-state atom [41][42][43].…”

Section: The Stark Effect In Hydrogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction of Rydberg atoms with surfaces

Kohlhoff

2016

Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.

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Abstract. The interface of neutral Rydberg atoms in the gas phase with a solid surface is of interest in many fields of modern research. This interface poses a particular challenge for any application in which Rydberg atoms are close to a substrate but also opens up the possibility of studying properties of the surface material itself through the atomic response. In this review the focus is on the process of electron tunneling from the excited state into the substrate that occurs when a Rydberg atom is located in front of a surface at a range of a few hundred nm and is demonstrated with a metallic surface. It is shown how variations in this ionisation mechanism can provide a powerful tool to probe imagecharge effects, measure small superficial electric stray or patch fields and how charge transfer from the Rydberg atom can be in resonance with energetically discrete surface states. Rydberg atoms at surfaces and interfacesWhen atoms are excited into states of high principal quantum number n their properties are exaggerated and long-range interactions lead to a strong coupling with their environment. The electron cloud is greatly expanded compared to the ground state (∝ n 2 ) which results in a large polarisability of a Rydberg state (∝ n 7 ) causing a strong response to electric fields [1]. In terms of a classical dipole, the positive core and negative electron are widely separated giving these excited states a large dipole moment, by which Rydberg atoms exhibit interactions over great distances (∼ μm), where the interactions can be controlled externally. The range of exotic properties makes them an interesting subject in various fields of research, Rydberg atoms are used in cavity quantum electrodynamics [2,3], in controlled chemical reactions by mechanical manipulation [4], serve as a model system for dipole-mediated energy transport in biological systems [5], can be used as a non-linear medium to mediate single-photon interactions [6,7] and have been proposed in several ways for quantum information processing [9][10][11][12]. However, this also means that the strong interaction will not be limited to surrounding atoms but that they also couple to condensed matter, bulk surfaces, in the vicinity. See Fig. 1 for an overview of Rydberg-surface interactions.a

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“…These properties can be exploited in a variety of scientific and technological applications [3] such as high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy, [4] photofragment translational spectroscopy [5] and electric-field sensing. [6] Recently, and following an early proposal by Breeden and Metcalf, [7] the large dipole moments of high Rydberg states have been exploited to deflect, [8] slow down, [9,10] reflect [11] and trap beams of Rydberg atoms and molecules, and load them at low translational temperatures into electric traps. [12][13][14][15] Combined with the long lifetimes of Rydberg states, the ability to store low-temperature samples of Rydberg atoms and molecules in traps enables one to study slow relaxation processes, such as radiative transitions induced by blackbody radiation [16] and slow predissociation, and to study interactions between Rydberg states and surfaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamical Processes in Rydberg-Stark Deceleration and Trapping of Atoms and Molecules

Seiler

Hogan

Merkt

2012

Chimia

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The interaction between inhomogeneous electric fields and the large electric dipole moments of atoms and molecules in Rydberg states of high principal quantum number can be used to efficiently accelerate and decelerate atoms and molecules in the gas phase. We describe here how hydrogen atoms and molecules initially moving with velocities of ?600 m/s in supersonic beams can be decelerated to zero velocity and loaded into electric traps. The long observation times that are made possible by the electrostatic trapping enables one to study slow relaxation processes. Experiments are presented in which we have observed photoionization processes and transitions between Rydberg states induced by blackbody radiation at temperatures between 10 K and 300 K on a time scale of several milliseconds. Comparison of these processes in Rydberg states of H and H2 suggests the importance, in H2, of collisional processes and of the process of blackbody-radiation-induced predissociation.

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Deflection of krypton Rydberg atoms in the field of an electric dipole

Cited by 47 publications

References 17 publications

Experimental progress in positronium laser physics

Experimental progress in positronium laser physics

Interaction of Rydberg atoms with surfaces

Dynamical Processes in Rydberg-Stark Deceleration and Trapping of Atoms and Molecules

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