STARK AND ZEEMAN DECELERATION OF NEUTRAL ATOMS AND MOLECULES
S. D. Hogan, E. Vliegen, Daniel Sprecher +6 more
Argon and hydrogen atoms excited to Rydberg Stark states in supersonic expansions have been decelerated using inhomogeneous electric fields. In the case of hydrogen, the atoms have been decelerated from an initial velocity of 700 m/s to zero velocity in the lab frame using time-dependent inhomogeneous electric fields and subsequently stored in two- and three-dimensional traps. The dynamics of the Rydberg atoms in the traps and the phase-space characteristics of the decelerated atoms have been characterized by pulsed field ionization and imaging techniques. Multi-stage Zeeman deceleration of ground state H and D atoms has been demonstrated. Using this technique H atoms, traveling at 420 m/s, have been decelerated to half of their initial kinetic energy. © 2008 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Laser Spectroscopy•Apr 1, 2008•0 citations