Measurement of the three-dimensional velocity distribution of Stark-decelerated Rydberg atoms |
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Authors: | E Vliegen P A Limacher F Merkt |
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Institution: | 1. Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie, ETH Zurich, HCI H?nggerberg, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract: | The full three-dimensional velocity distributions of decelerated and accelerated particles in a Stark decelerator for Rydberg
atoms and molecules have been
measured. In the experiment, argon atoms in a supersonic beam are excited to low-field and high-field seeking Stark states
with principal quantum number in the range n=15 to 25 and are decelerated in a 3 mm long decelerator consisting of four electrodes
on which time-dependent voltages are
applied. The time dependence of the resulting inhomogeneous electric field is chosen such that the decelerating force acting
on the high-field seeking states is maximized
at each point along the trajectories. The three-dimensional velocity distribution of the atoms before and after the deceleration
is determined by measuring
times of flight and two-dimensional images of the atomic cloud on the detector.
Under optimal deceleration conditions, the decrease in kinetic energy in the longitudinal dimension amounts to 1.0×10-21 J and the increase in mean kinetic
energy in the transverse dimensions is only 1.0×10-23 J. The corresponding temperatures of 100 mK and 300 mK in the two transverse dimensions are sufficiently
low that trapping can be envisaged. The possibility of focusing a Rydberg atom beam is demonstrated experimentally. |
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Keywords: | 32 60 +i Zeeman and Stark effects 39 10 +j Atomic and molecular beam sources and techniques |
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