Ultracold Alkali-Noble Gas Interactions

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This research focuses on the use of a dual Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT0 to study the simultaneous confinement of alkali atoms and metastable rare gas atoms. In particular, ultracold collisions between one alkali atom (rubidium) and one metastable noble gas atom (argon, krypton) will be studied as well as collisions between unlike metastable noble gas atoms (argon and krypton). The experiments will be centered on ionization rates in the ultracold collisions and photoassociative spectroscopy during the collisions. Results of the experiments will be used to gain a fundamental understanding of heteronuclear collisions and molecular formation at ultracold temperatures as well as to determine scattering lengths which are important for sympathetic cooling, to determine potential curves for comparison with molecular structure calculations, to test cold collision theories in a new regime, and to better understand heteronuclear Penning and associative ionization processes in ultracold collisions. On the broader impacts, the project serves as a versatile training ground for graduate and undergraduate students while helping to increase the participation of women and minorities in science.