MRI: Development of an Ultracold Potassium Rydberg Source for Experiments in Quantum Optics and Many-Body Physics

这笔赠款支持开发一种仪器，用于在高度激发的量子力学轨道（里德堡态）中产生致密、冷的钾原子气体。 原子气体的温度将低于绝对零以上千分之一度。 在高度激发态下，电子距离原子核很远，并且非常容易受到与外部电场和其他原子的相互作用的影响。由于其卓越的特性，高度激发的原子有可能为一系列量子力学系统的动力学提供深入的见解。 高度激发的钾原子的简单性质将使实验能够阐明化学量子控制和量子信息科学中感兴趣的基本量子过程。原子之间相互作用的强、远距离和非各向同性性质以及多原子系统动力学的测量与正在进行的凝聚态物理实验有关，这些实验使用原子和分子的超冷样品。该仪器将实现的实验将解决两个首要问题。第一个问题是简单的量子系统在强场驱动时如何表现。 第二个问题是，在存在复杂的多体相互作用的情况下，光如何促进或抑制原子和分子之间的能量转移。 这种独特的仪器将允许小型学院通过实验进行变革性研究，这些实验补充了世界各地其他机构在其他原子和分子物种中所做的研究。开发该仪器涉及设计和构建三个不同的组件，将其添加到产生冷基态原子的工作系统中。 该开发项目的主要目标如下：（1）稳定用于激发钾电子的激光器； (2)开发并构建一种结构，将受控电场施加到原子上； (3)开发和构造一个探测器，可以确定设备中各个原子的能级。 具体来说，PI现有的钾磁光陷阱（MOT）将增加以下组件：（1）稳定的紫外和红外激光器，用于通过中间5p能级逐步激发超冷钾原子从基态到里德堡态； (2)射频传输线，向与超高真空MOT兼容的原子施加场； (3) 状态选择性场电离探测器，不会干扰里德堡状态。该项目涉及广泛的学生培训。该项目将通过直接参与仪器开发和受项目影响的班级来影响科尔比学院许多本科生的教育。 PI 有效地将各个级别的本科生纳入他的研究项目。致力于该仪器开发的本科生将接受最先进的原子物理学以及激光、电子、光学仪器、真空和射频技术以及计算机数据采集和控制系统方面的专业知识的培训。

This grant supports the development of an instrument to produce dense, cold, gases of potassium atoms in highly excited quantum mechanical orbits (Rydberg states). The atomic gases will have temperatures less than a thousandth of a degree above absolute zero. In highly excited states the electrons are very far from the nucleus, and are highly susceptible to interactions with external electric fields and other atoms.Because of their remarkable properties, highly-excited atoms have the potential to provide insights into the dynamics of an array of quantum mechanical systems. The simple properties of highly excited potassium atoms will allow experiments that elucidate fundamental quantum processes of interest in chemical quantum control and in quantum information science. The strong, long-range, and non-isotropic nature of the interactions between atoms and measurements of the dynamics of many-atom systems is connected to ongoing experiments in condensed matter physics that employ ultracold samples of atoms and molecules.The experiments that will be enabled by the instrument will address two overriding questions. The first question is how simple quantum systems behave when driven by strong fields. The second question is how energy transfer between atoms and molecules can be assisted or frustrated by light while in the presence of complex many-body interactions. The unique instrument will allow transformative research at a small college through experiments that complement research done in other atomic and molecular species at other institutions worldwide.Developing the instrument involves design and construction of three distinct components to be added to a working system that produces cold ground-state atoms. The main goals of the development project are the following: (1) stabilizing lasers for excitation of the potassium electrons; (2) developing and constructing a structure to apply controlled electric fields to the atoms; and (3) developing and constructing a detector that can determine the energy levels of the individual atoms in the apparatus. Specifically, the following components will be added to the PI's existing potassium magneto optical trap (MOT): (1) stabilized ultraviolet and infrared lasers for stepwise excitation of ultracold potassium atoms from the ground-state to Rydberg states via the intermediate 5p level; (2) a radiofrequency transmission line to apply fields to the atoms that are compatible with the ultra-high-vacuum MOT; and (3) a state-selective field-ionization detector that does not perturb the Rydberg states.The project involves extensive student training. The project will impact the education of many undergraduate students at Colby College both through their direct participation in instrument development and in classes affected by the project. The PI has been effective at integrating undergraduate students of all levels into his research program. Undergraduates working on the development of the instrument will receive training in state-of-the-art atomic physics and expertise in lasers, electronics, optical instrumentation, vacuum and radiofrequency technology, and computerized data acquisition and control systems.