US-France Cooperative Research: Doubly Excited Rydberg Atoms

该奖项将支持弗吉尼亚大学Thomas Gallagher博士与法国奥赛Aime Cotton实验室Pierre Camus博士和Pierre Pillet博士之间的合作研究。该项目的目标是研究高度相关的原子系统，其中两个原子电子处于相似的轨道上。具有两个高度激发的相关电子的原子是当今原子物理学的主要挑战之一。虽然已经提出了许多理论，但仍然很少有实验信息来指导理论的形成。研究人员建议在实验上研究这种原子状态。具体来说，他们建议使用具有两个价电子的Ba原子的多步激光激发，加上双激发态的状态选择性检测。这类研究目前正在两个实验室中进行，使用的技术相当不同。通过结合这些方法和探索新的途径，研究人员希望能够从不同的角度观察双激发原子，获得对其性质的有价值的新见解，并指导未来的理论发展。美国和法国的研究小组在研究高激发态方面都有大量的研究记录，并开发了许多拟议计划所依据的技术。此外，两个研究小组都可以随时接触到在相关原子系统方面具有专业知识的理论小组。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Thomas Gallagher, University of Virginia and Dr. Pierre Camus and Pierre Pillet, Laboratoire Aime Cotton, Orsay, France. The objective of the project is to study highly correlated atomic systems in which two of the atomic electrons are in similar orbit. Atoms with two highly excited, correlated electrons present one of the major challenges to present day atomic physics. Although there have been many theories proposed, there remains very little experimental information to guide the formation of the theories. The investigators propose to study such atomic states experimen- tally. Specifically, they propose to use multistep laser excitation of Ba atoms, which have two valence electrons, coupled with state selective detection of the doubly excited states. Such studies, using rather different techniques, are currently underway in both laboratories. By combining the approaches and exploring new avenues, the investigators expect to be able to view the doubly excited atoms from different perspectives, gaining valuable new insights into their properties and guiding future theoretical developments. Both the US and French groups have substantial research records in the study of highly excited states in general, and have developed many of the techniques upon which the proposed program rests. In addition, both research groups have ready access to theoretical groups with expertise in correlated atomic systems.