Experiments with cold, electrostatically trapped Rydberg molecules

在这个项目中，将利用最先进的、低温冷却的、基于芯片的减速机和电陷阱来制备处于高激发量子态（称为里德伯态）的一氧化氮分子的冷气相样品。该项目的第一阶段工作将涉及在这些受激分子样品中填充的量子态的演化和缓慢自发衰变的时域研究。接下来将研究黑体辐射和与其他基态分子的低能碰撞对这些衰变过程的影响。在这个项目的第二个主要阶段，重点将放在远程电偶极相互作用和短程离子分子反应的探测效应上。实验研究这些类型的相互作用与冷分子在高里德伯状态是目前特别感兴趣的。

In this project, state-of-the-art, cryogenically cooled, chip-based decelerators and electric traps will be exploited to prepare cold gas-phase samples of nitric oxide molecules in highly excited quantum states known as Rydberg states. The first phase of the project work will involve studies in the time domain of the evolution and slow spontaneous decay of the quantum states populated in these excited molecular samples. This will then be followed by investigations of the effects of blackbody radiation and low-energy collisions with other ground-state molecules on these decay processes. In this second main phase of the project emphasis will be placed on probing effects of long-range electric dipole interactions and short-range ion-molecule reactions. Experimental studies of these types of interactions with cold molecules in high Rydberg states are at present of particular interest.