Hogan SD. Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules.
EPJ TECHNIQUES AND INSTRUMENTATION 2016;
3:2. [PMID:
32355605 PMCID:
PMC7175735 DOI:
10.1140/epjti/s40485-015-0028-4]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The large electric dipole moments associated with highly excited Rydberg states of atoms and molecules make gas-phase samples in these states very well suited to deceleration and trapping using inhomogeneous electric fields. The methods of Rydberg-Stark deceleration with which this can be achieved are reviewed here. Using these techniques, the longitudinal motion of beams of atoms and molecules moving at speeds as high as 2500 m/s have been manipulated, with changes in kinetic energy of up to |Δ E kin|=1.3×10-20 J (|Δ E kin|/e=80 meV or |Δ E kin|/h c=650 cm -1) achieved, while decelerated and trapped samples with number densities of 106- 107 cm -3 and translational temperatures of ∼150 mK have been prepared. Applications of these samples in areas of research at the interface between physics and physical chemistry are discussed.
Collapse