RUI: Cold Collisions of Highly Excited Atoms -- Orientation, Alignment, and Velocity Effects on Associative Ionization at Low Collision Energies

本研究项目聚焦于使用单模激光和多普勒调谐来激发单个原子束的选择速度分量，以研究在非常低的碰撞能量下电子激发原子的联合电离的方向，对准和速度影响。这些桌面实验代表了一种研究低碰撞能量下缔合电离的方法，其目标是弥合在室温蒸汽中观察到的碰撞与在光学陷阱中遇到的超冷环境中观察到的碰撞之间的差距。将采用外腔二极管激光器来激发溢流钾光束热速度分布中选定的窄速分量。除了帮助理解在冷阱环境中发生的碰撞过程之外，该项目更广泛的影响包括加强拉斐特学院的研究和教学基础设施，培养研究生和工业界就业的学生物理学家，并为本科生提供实际的动手实验室经验。

This research project focuses on the use of single-mode lasers and Doppler tuning to excite select velocity components of a single atomic beam to study orientation, alignment, and velocity effects on the associative ionization of electronically excited atoms at very low collision energies. These table-top experiment represent an approach for investigating associative ionization at low collision energies with the goal of bridging the gap between collisions observed in room temperature vapors and collisions observed in the ultra-cold environment encountered in optical traps. External cavity diode lasers will be employed to excite select narrow velocity components of an effusive potassium beam's thermal velocity distribution. Beyond aiding the understanding of collisional processes that occur in cold trap environments, the broader impact of this project includes enhancing the research and teaching infrastructure of Lafayette College, training student physicists destined for graduate school and employment in industry, and providing undergraduates with practical hands-on laboratory experience.