Efficient Rydberg positronium laser excitation for antihydrogen production in a magnetic field

Antihydrogen production by charge exchange reaction between positronium (Ps) and antiprotons requires an efficient excitation of Ps atoms up to high-n levels (Rydberg levels). We propose a two-step laser light excitation, the first from ground to n?=?3 and the second from this level to a Rydberg level n?>?15. In this study it is assumed that a Ps cloud is produced by positrons hitting a target converter located in a Penning-Malmberg trap within a uniform ~ 1 T magnetic field. We model the optical transition structure by taking into account Doppler and motional Stark effects. The predicted efficiency for population deposition in high n states is of ~30%.     

High-precision three-dimensional Rydberg atom localization in a four-level atomic system

Rydberg atoms have been widely investigated due to their large size, long radiative lifetime, huge polarizability and strong dipole-dipole interactions. The position information of Rydberg atoms provides more possibilities for quantum optics research, which can be obtained under the localization method. We study the behavior of three-dimensional(3 D)Rydberg atom localization in a four-level configuration with the measurement of the spatial optical absorption. The atomic localization precision depends strongly on the detuning and Rabi frequency of the involved laser fields. A 100% probability of finding the Rydberg atom at a specific 3 D position is achieved with precision of ～0.031λ. This work demonstrates the possibility for achieving the 3 D atom localization of the Rydberg atom in the experiment.     

Spectral filtering of dual lasers with a high-finesse length-tunable cavity for rubidium atom Rydberg excitation

We propose and demonstrate an alternative method for spectral filtering and frequency stabilization of both 780-nm and 960-nm lasers using a high-finesse length-tunable cavity(HFLTC). Firstly, the length of HFLTC is stabilized to a commercial frequency reference. Then, the two lasers are locked to this HFLTC using the Pound–Drever–Hall(PDH) method which can narrow the linewidths and stabilize the frequencies of both lasers simultaneously. Finally, the transmitted lasers of HFLTC with each power up to about 100 μW, which act as seed lasers, are amplified using the injection locking method for single-atom Rydberg excitation. The linewidths of obtained lasers are narrowed to be less than 1 k Hz, meanwhile the obtained lasers' phase noise around 750 k Hz are suppressed about 30 d B. With the spectrally filtered lasers, we demonstrate a Rabi oscillation between the ground state and Rydberg state of single-atoms in an optical trap tweezer with a decay time of(67 ± 37) μs, which is almost not affected by laser phase noise. We found that the maximum short-term laser frequency fluctuation of a single excitation lasers is at ～ 3.3 k Hz and the maximum long-term laser frequency drift of a single laser is ～ 46 k Hz during one month. Our work develops a stable and repeatable method to provide multiple laser sources of ultra-low phase noise, narrow linewidth, and excellent frequency stability, which is essential for high precision atomic experiments, such as neutral atom quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum metrology, and so on.     

Early experiments with slow positrons in atomic physics

The major steps in the evolution of techniques for producing positron beams of well defined energies over the last 25 years are reviewed. Developments in the methods of using these beams for experiments in atomic physics are then traced historically     

Decay of the positronium molecule into a positronium atom and photons

Decays of the positronium molecule Ps₂ into para- or orthopositronium Ps in the ground state and photons are investigated. The differential probabilities of the decays are determined. The total probabilitiesw _2γ ^(Ps2) andw _3γ ^(Ps2) of Ps₂ annihilation with the production of two and three photons and positronium are calculated to be $$w_{2\gamma }^{(P_{S_2 } )} = 1.6 \cdot 10^{10} \sec ^{ - 1} ,w_{3\gamma }^{(P_{S_2 } )} = 0.43 \cdot 10^8 \sec ^{ - 1} $$ . The curve of the angular correlation of the γ rays on the decay of Ps₂ into two photons and parapositronium is studied. The width of this curve is Δ¦P¦=0.128 a.u. (¦P¦ is the total photon momentum), which corresponds to a deviation of the emission angle of the γ rays from π: θ ? 0.934 mrad. The maximum in the distribution of the photons with respect to the momenta ¦P¦ in the center of mass of the annihilating pair is attained at ¦P¦=0.175 a.u. The calculations were made on an M-222 computer, and their accuracy is determined by the choice of the wave function of the positronium molecule and the accuracy in the computer calculation of the integrals.     

激光两步激发镱原子束的荧光光谱

本文用激光两步激发原子束方法,获得了YbI四个里德堡系列的荧光光谱.首次给出了6sns~3S_1(n-15到n=22)6s 23s ~1S_(D7) 6s 24s ~1S_0能位的实验数据.     

Preparation of atomic sodium as a two-level atom

A method of preparing atomic sodium so that it behaves, to a first approximation, as a simple two-level atom is presented. The procedure consists of a succession of optical pumpings by a c.w. dye laser of a thermal atomic beam of sodium.     

Subthreshold tunable OPO: a source of nonclassical light for atomic physics experiments

Received: 11 March 1998/Revised version: 1 April 1998     

Some fundamental physics experiments using atomic clocks and sensors

We present several experiments in fundamental physics that use atomic clocks and sensors together with high performance time/frequency transfer methods. Our account is far from being exhaustive and instead concentrates on a chosen subset of present and future experiments, whilst providing some theoretical background. We only give very brief overviews of the experiments and theories, but provide ample references for the interested reader.     

Orientation effects for passage of a relativistic positronium atom through crystals

We examine the passage of a relativistic positronium atom through a crystal for a small entrance angle with respect to the crystallographic axes. We show that the probability for an elastic interaction of the positronium atom with the crystal has orientation dependence. The probability of breakup of a positronium atom in a crystal is significantly greater than in an amorphous target.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 78–82, March, 1989.The author wishes to express his gratitude to S. A. Vorob'ev for his interest in the work and to Yu. L. Pivovarov, L. L. Nemenov, and M. I. Podgoretskii for useful discussions.     

Resonant positronium formation in atomic gases

A method is presented for calculation of quasistationary excited states of positronium ions. These states are treated as bound positron states in the quadrupole field of an excited valence electron, which are capable of decaying both with positron emission into the continuous spectrum, and with positronium emission. The existence of such states should manifest itself in resonances in the positronium formation section upon motion of positrons with energy in the eV range. The resonant section parameters are calculated for a number of atoms.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 6–12, March, 1984.     

Penning traps as a versatile tool for precise experiments in fundamental physics

This review article describes the trapping of charged particles. The main principles of electromagnetic confinement of various species from elementary particles to heavy atoms are briefly described. The preparation and manipulation with trapped single particles, as well as methods of frequency measurements, providing unprecedented precision, are discussed. Unique applications of Penning traps in fundamental physics are presented. Ultra-precise trap-measurements of masses and magnetic moments of elementary particles (electrons, positrons, protons and antiprotons) confirm CPT-conservation, and allow accurate determination of the fine-structure constant α and other fundamental constants. This together with the information on the unitarity of the quark-mixing matrix, derived from the trap-measurements of atomic masses, serves for assessment of the Standard Model of the physics world. Direct mass measurements of nuclides targeted to some advanced problems of astrophysics and nuclear physics are also presented.     

Lasers as a bridge between atomic and nuclear physics

This paper reviews the application of visible and ultraviolet laser radiation to several topics in low-energy nuclear physics. We consider laser-induced nuclear anti-Stokes transitions, laser-assisted and laser-induced internal conversion, and the electron bridge and inverse electron bridge mechanisms as tools for deexcitation and excitation of low-lying nuclear isomeric states. A study of the anomalously low-lying nuclear isomeric states (in the case of the ²²⁹Th nucleus) is presented in detail.