Quantum-state controlled reactive scattering at tunable collision energy

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This project is aimed at studying reactive collisions between lithium atoms and metastable helium atoms (Penning and associative ionisation) at an unprecedented level of detail, with full quantum-state control of both reactants and at precisely tunable collision energies ranging from the thermal to the quantum regime. For this purpose, an existing setup composed of a supersonic, velocity-tunable metastable beam source and a magneto-optical trap for ultracold lithium atoms as a scattering target will be extended with components for electronic and magnetic quantum state control. To reach low collision energies, a cryogenic source for metastable helium atoms will be built and combined with an atomic beam decelerator. The experimental results obtained in this study will not only shed light on the influence of spin polarisation and quantum effects on the mechanism of this reaction but they will also challenge the current level of accuracy of ab initio quantum chemical calculations of potential energy surfaces and the associated quantum dynamics in an energy regime dominated by a few partial waves.