Normal-incidence electrostatic Rydberg atom mirror

A Rydberg atom mirror has been designed and its operational principle tested experimentally. A supersonic expansion containing H atoms moving with a velocity of 720 m/s initially propagates toward a quadrupolar electrostatic mirror. The H atoms are then photoexcited to n=27 Rydberg states with a positive Stark shift and move in a rapidly increasing electric field. The H atom beam is stopped in 4.8 micros, only 1.9 mm away from the photoexcitation spot, and is then reflected back. The reflection process is monitored by pulsed field ionization and imaging.