RUI: Structure and dynamics of cold Rydberg gases and cold plasmas

RUI：冷里德伯气体和冷等离子体的结构和动力学

• 批准号: 0652842
• 负责人: Duncan Tate
• 金额: $ 14.6万
• 依托单位: Colby College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-01 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0652842&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Structure; dynamics; cold; Rydberg

This proposal is to continue support for a research program on cold, dense, RydbergGases at Colby College. The Rydberg atoms in this environment are strongly coupled by the dipoleinteraction, and these forces can have a dramatic influence on the atomic motions. Inparticular, cold Rydberg atoms have been observed to spontaneously evolve to plasma, aprocess that is initiated by dipole forces. Rydberg states are also formed by three-bodyelectron-ion recombination in ultra cold plasmas that are created by photoionization ofcold atoms. There is theoretical and experimental evidence that the presence of Rydbergatoms may play a role in control of the electron temperature in such plasmas. Dipole forcesbetween Rydberg atoms can lead to the formation of novel molecular systems, which maybe identified by spectroscopic means.A rubidium magneto-optical trap (MOT) has been constructed (density 1 x 1010 cm-3, temperature 100 uK). Cold Rydberg atoms are selectively excited using a pulsed laser. In order to perform high- resolution spectroscopy of atomic or molecular states, a tunable millimeter wave source has been built. The high resolution available from this source also enables one to "tag" a particular Rydberg state, and monitor the population dynamics of this state with great precision. In the immediate future, three broadly related areas will be pursued. Measurement of Rydberg lifetimes in hiught n states, temperature control in ultra cold plasmas and the spectroscopy of Rydberg molecules .

这项提案是为了继续支持科尔比学院关于冷、密、里德伯格气体的研究项目。在这种环境中，里德伯原子被偶极子相互作用强烈耦合，这些力对原子运动有巨大的影响。特别是，冷里德伯原子已经被观察到自发地进化成等离子体，这是一个由偶极力引发的过程。里德伯态也可以由三体电子-离子在超冷等离子体中的重组形成，这种等离子体是由冷原子的光电离产生的。有理论和实验证据表明，里德伯原子的存在可能在控制等离子体中的电子温度方面起作用。里德伯原子之间的偶极力可以导致新的分子系统的形成，这可能是通过光谱手段来识别的。构建了铷磁光阱（MOT）（密度1 x 1010 cm-3，温度100 uK）。用脉冲激光选择性地激发冷里德伯原子。为了进行原子或分子状态的高分辨率光谱分析，建立了一种可调谐毫米波源。该源提供的高分辨率还使人们能够“标记”特定的里德堡状态，并以极高的精度监测该状态的种群动态。在不久的将来，将开展三个广泛相关的领域。高n态里德伯寿命的测量，超冷等离子体的温度控制和里德伯分子的光谱。