Microwave Control of Rydberg Systems

这个项目专注于使用微波场来操纵高度激发的原子或里德堡原子的实验。该项目的目标是了解微波场如何在从里德堡电子轨道频率到高达50倍的频率范围内电离原子。目标是试图确定如果微波频率等于或非常接近里德堡电子的经典轨道频率，电子轨道是否与微波场同步。如果是这样的话，这应该会在量子力学和经典物理之间提供一种有趣的联系。在更广泛的影响上，里德堡原子似乎是一些应用的优秀系统，如远红外探测和量子计算。

This project focuses on experiments in which microwave fields are used to manipulate highly excited, or Rydberg, atoms. The objectives of the project are to understand how atoms are ionized by microwave fields at frequencies that range from the frequency of the Rydberg electrons orbital frequency to frequencies as much as fifty times higher. The goal is to try to determine if the electron orbit becomes synchronized with the microwave field if the microwave frequency is at or very near the classical orbital frequency of the Rydberg electron. If this is the case, this should provide an interesting connection between quantum mechanics and classical physics. On the broader impact, Rydberg atoms appear to be excellent systems for some applications, such as far infrared detection and quantum computing.