Cold Rydberg Atoms

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The research component of this project focuses on experiments to study the dynamics of cold Rydberg atom gases and cold plasmas, using both Rydberg atom trapping and beams of cold Rydberg atoms. The experimental system is unique in that it provides dense, laser-cooled atom clouds as well as a variable temperature of the radiation field down to 4 Kelvin. One component of the research is the study of l-mixing, n-mixing, ionization and recombination in the dynamics of cold Rydberg atom gases and plasmas as a function of important parameters such as the atom density, the Rydberg-atom excitation energy, and the temperature of the radiation field. Trapping of Rydberg atoms is the second component of the project. It is planned to demonstrate static electric and magnetic quadrupole Rydberg atom traps, and to trap Rydberg atoms in optical lattices that are derived from the ponderomotive energy shift of the weakly bound Rydberg electrons. The latter is a fundamentally new trapping method. The project involves both graduate and undergraduate students in research, and in the oral and written presentation of research. A broader outreach component includes an involvement in the NASA Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP), the University of Michigan Physics Olympiad, and the Michigan Math and Science Scholars (MMSS) program.