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Physical Review A

Measurement of low-energy total absolute atomic collision cross sections with the metastable P23 state of neon using a magneto-optical trap

Kristen Matherson, R. D. Glover, D. E. Laban, Robert T. Sang

Published Oct 28, 2008• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present total absolute collision cross sections for neon in the $^{3}P_{2}$ metastable state with ground state, thermal atoms and molecules using a recently developed experimental technique. The technique utilizes a magneto-optical trap (MOT) and involves the measurement of MOT population dynamics to determine the cross section. Collision cross section measurements are presented for metastable neon in the $^{3}P_{2}$ state with He, Ne, Ar, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$. The average thermal energy of the collision ranges from $11\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}27\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$. The measurements made using this technique have small errors, of the order of 10% of the measured cross section; the technique is capable of producing benchmark collision cross sections.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.78.042712

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We present total absolute collision cross sections for neon in the 3P2^{3}P_{2}3P2​ metastable state with ground state, thermal atoms and molecules using a recently developed experimental technique. The technique utilizes a magneto-optical trap (MOT) and involves the measurement of MOT population dynamics to determine the cross section. Collision cross section measurements are presented for metastable neon in the 3P2^{3}P_{2}3P2​ state with He, Ne, Ar, H2{\mathrm{H}}_{2}H2​, O2{\mathrm{O}}_{2}O2​, and N2{\mathrm{N}}_{2}N2​. The average thermal energy of the collision ranges from 11to27meV11\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}27\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}11to27meV. The measurements made using this technique have small errors, of the order of 10% of the measured cross section; the technique is capable of producing benchmark collision cross sections.
We present progress towards measurements of total absolute collision cross sections of the 3P2 metastable state and the 3D3 excited state of neon with ground state noble gases utilizing a metastable neon magneto optical trap. The measurement is achieved by observing the decay rate of the trap as a function of added partial pressure of a noble gas. This technique will enable benchmark cross sections to be measured there by providing stringent tests of current quantum mechanical scattering calculations.
This thesis presents investigations into the collision dynamics of cold metastable neon atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). At very cold temperatures (approx. 1 mK) the atomic interaction occurs at long range and cannot be treated classically as the interaction between two nuclear point particles. In addition, the collision dynamics can be considerably altered in the presence of an optical eld. In this thesis results are presented for collisions that are altered by the presence of an optical eld and also collisions where the optical eld can be neglected. Controlled optical collisions of cold, metastable Ne atoms are performed by using a control laser tuned close to the (3s)3P2 to (3p)3D3 cooling transition. The control laser modies the rate of ionizing collisions by promoting a pair of colliding atoms onto an excited state potential. In order to induce collisions between pairs of trapped metastables, a control laser is tuned to the red of the transition where we measure a factor of 4 increase in the rate for ionizing collisions. We also investigate the eect of optical shielding by tuning the laser to the blue of the transition and observe a factor of 5 suppression in the ionization rate. However, the measured ionization spectrum does not contain resonances due to the formation of photoassociated molecules as predicted by Doery et al [1]. Instead, we observe a broad unresolvable ionization spectrum that is well described by established theory [2]. Collision cross sections are measured for neon in the (3s)3P2 metastable state with ground state, thermal atoms and molecules. The technique is based on the measurement of the loss rate due to collisions with a background gas. Generally, these type of collisions are considered undesirable, however, it is possible to infer information about the collision cross section if the rate of collisions is accurately known. This novel technique is described and collision cross section measurements are presented for metastable neon in the (3s)3P2 state with He, Ne, Ar, H2, O2, and N2. The average thermal energy of the collision ranges from 11 meV to 27 meV and the measurements have relatively small errors, of the order of 10%.
The 3P2^{3}P_{2}3P2​ metastable atoms of neon have been optically oriented. This represents the first case of the optical pumping of non-SSS state atoms. The optical-pumping process is described, and depolarization cross sections for collisions with ground-state neon and ground-state helium atoms measured. The cross section for collisional depolarization with helium is 4.30 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.22 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2, and with neon is 166 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 8 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2 at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The metastable 3P2^{3}P_{2}3P2​ atoms of Ar and Xe have also been optically pumped. As the polarizability of the noble-gas buffer increases, the collisional depolarization cross section approaches the diffusion cross section.
We present the results from two experiments investigating collisions that differ in time scale by three orders of magnitude. The first experiment enables the determination of absolute total collision cross sections using a technique that measures a change in the loss rate of trapped atoms from a magneto optical trap (MOT). We also investigate light assisted collision processes between cold metastable neon atoms in the 3 P 2 metastable state within the MOT. A catalysis laser is scanned in frequency across the 3 P 2 – 3 D 3 cooling transition and the ionization rate was observed. Ionization spectra are obtained which demonstrate a dependence on the magnetic sublevels of the transition that the catalysis laser is exciting.
Absolute velocity-resolved total integral cross sections have been measured for collisions of helium singlet (2 1 S 0 ) and triplet (2 3 S 1 2) metastable (He*) atoms with ground-state helium, neon, and argon atoms in the thermal velocity range of 1.0-3.5*10 5 cm s -1 . Additional measurements on the He*-Ne system with a large input aperture at the detector to suppress the sensitivity of the apparatus to elastic scattering failed to show the previously predicted (Arathoon) sharply rising velocity structure in the inelastic excitation transfer cross sections.