Physics with New Atomic Systems: Quantum Interactions, Cooling, & Applications

我们对冷原子的物理学只是部分了解，而且我们的信息通常仅限于几种原子。在这个项目中，我们正在努力揭示原子的碰撞特性，这些特性是寒冷和超冷状态下的新事物，并扩展它们的创造和操纵方法。被研究的原子是从致烟素和卤素（例如氮和氯）中提取出来的，到目前为止，这些原子在冷原子领域几乎没有被触及过。通过捕获和冷却这些原子，我们将了解它们是否可以制成量子气体，以及它们在寒冷、稀释的气体中相互碰撞时如何相互作用。这种行为是自然界最基本的碰撞现象之一。我们也在努力实现混合冷原子源，使用激光冷却和缓冲气体冷却，目的是创造更高通量的冷原子束技术。从广义上讲，这项工作的重要性在于发现了新的科学，开辟了使用冷原子的新前景。由于这些碰撞研究的基本性质，它可能是最大的影响将涉及到新的想法和技术，目前还不知道。潜在的应用包括对在太空和大气中发现的关键原子进行更高精度的光谱分析，以及为各种工作增加捕获原子的数量，包括提高技术材料的质量。

The physics of cold atoms is only partially known and our information is generally limited to only a few kinds of atoms. In this project we are working to uncover the collisional properties of atoms that are new to the cold and ultracold regime, and extend methods for their creation and manipulation. The atoms being studied are drawn from the pnictogens and halogens (for example, Nitrogen and Chlorine), so far nearly untouched in the realm of cold atoms. By trapping and cooling these atoms, we will learn whether they can be made into quantum gases and how they interact as they collide with each other in a cold, dilute gas. Such behavior is among the most fundamental collision phenomena in Nature. We are also working toward the practical realization of a hybrid cold atoms source using laser cooling along with buffer-gas cooling, with the aim of creating higher flux cold atom beam technology.Broadly speaking, the importance of this work is to uncover new science and open up new vistas in the use of cold atoms. Due to the fundamental nature of these collision studies, it may be the largest impact will involve new ideas and technologies that are as yet unknown. Potential applications include higher precision spectroscopy of key atoms found in space and the atmosphere and increased numbers of trapped atoms for a variety or work, including improving the qualities of technological materials.