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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

Slowing molecules and neutral atoms by time-varying electric field gradients

Jason Maddi, T. Dinneen, Harvey Gould

Published Jan 1, 2000• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Summary form only given. Isochronous electric field gradients have been used to deflect beams of molecules and neutral atoms. However, time-varying electric field gradients can be used to accelerate, slow, cool, or bunch these same beams. The method works best for polar molecules with large dipole moments and atoms with large polarizabilities.

Related papers

Slowing and cooling molecules and neutral atoms by time-varying electric-field gradients

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A method of slowing, accelerating, cooling, and bunching molecules and neutral atoms using time-varying electric-field gradients is demonstrated with cesium atoms in a fountain. The effects are measured and found to be in agreement with our calculations. Time-varying electric-field-gradient slowing and cooling is applicable to atoms that have large dipole polarizabilities, including atoms that are not amenable to laser slowing and cooling, to Rydberg atoms, and to molecules, especially polar molecules with large electric dipole moments. The possible applications of this method include slowing and cooling thermal beams of atoms and molecules, launching cold atoms from a trap into a fountain, and measuring atomic dipole polarizabilities.

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Summary form only given. Acceleration of molecules within a time varying electric field produced by an optical traveling wave has been proposed as a means to accelerate neutral particles to high velocity. This technique is attractive because extremely large Stark forces can be produced by the high electric field gradients that can be created within an optical traveling wave. The electrodeless electric field gradient produced by focused laser beams can be orders of magnitude greater than electrostatic gradients, allowing acceleration of polar as well as polarizable molecules and atoms. This concept has already been used to accelerate ultracold atoms in a very weak optical periodic potentials, or lattices, and acceleration up to the velocities in the m/s velocity was observed. We report on the study of acceleration of polarizable particles to velocities in excess of 10 km/s range in an accelerated optical lattice, using high intensity pulsed fields.

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Decelerating Neutral Dipolar Molecules

Hendrick L. Bethlem, Giel Berden, Gerard Meijer

It is experimentally demonstrated that a beam of neutral dipolar molecules can be efficiently decelerated with a time-varying electric field. A pulsed beam of neutral metastable CO molecules is slowed down from 225 m/s ( ${E}_{\mathrm{kin}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}59{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) to 98 m/s ( ${E}_{\mathrm{kin}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}11{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) upon passage through an array of 63 synchronously pulsed electric field stages.

Physical Review Letters•Aug 23, 1999•664 citations
Summary form only given. Isochronous electric field gradients have been used to deflect beams of molecules and neutral atoms. However, time-varying electric field gradients can be used to accelerate, slow, cool, or bunch these same beams. The method works best for polar molecules with large dipole moments and atoms with large polarizabilities.
A method of slowing, accelerating, cooling, and bunching molecules and neutral atoms using time-varying electric-field gradients is demonstrated with cesium atoms in a fountain. The effects are measured and found to be in agreement with our calculations. Time-varying electric-field-gradient slowing and cooling is applicable to atoms that have large dipole polarizabilities, including atoms that are not amenable to laser slowing and cooling, to Rydberg atoms, and to molecules, especially polar molecules with large electric dipole moments. The possible applications of this method include slowing and cooling thermal beams of atoms and molecules, launching cold atoms from a trap into a fountain, and measuring atomic dipole polarizabilities.
Deflection by magnetic or electric field gradients has long been used to analyze or to alter the translational trajectories of neutral gas-phase atoms or molecules. Recent work has developed sources of slow, cold molecular beams that offer means to enhance markedly the attainable deflections, which are inversely proportional to the translational kinetic energy. The sensitivity and resolution can thus be much increased, typically by factors of 10(2)-10(4). We illustrate ways to exploit this enhanced deflection capability, particularly when balancing electric and magnetic deflections. Chemical scope can be greatly extended by utilizing feeble but ubiquitous interactions, especially the induced electric dipole due to the molecular polarizability and magnetic moments resulting from molecular rotation or nuclear spins. We also examine the effect of non-Maxwellian velocity distributions produced by supersonic expansions or by quantum statistics (pertinent for ultracold beams). Generic plots are provided, employing dimensionless variables, to facilitate the design and interpretation of experiments with deflections amplified by low kinetic energy.
Neutral dipolar molecules can be decelerated and trapped using time-varying inhomogeneous electric fields. This has been demonstrated only for molecules in low-field seeking states, but can, in principle, be performed on molecules in high-field seeking states as well. Transverse stability is then much more difficult to obtain, however, since molecules in high-field seeking states always experience a force towards the electrodes. Here we demonstrate that an array of dipole lenses in alternate gradient configuration can be used to maintain transverse stability. A pulsed beam of metastable CO in high-field seeking states is accelerated from 275 to 289 m/s as well as decelerated from 275 to 260 m/s.
Summary form only given. Acceleration of molecules within a time varying electric field produced by an optical traveling wave has been proposed as a means to accelerate neutral particles to high velocity. This technique is attractive because extremely large Stark forces can be produced by the high electric field gradients that can be created within an optical traveling wave. The electrodeless electric field gradient produced by focused laser beams can be orders of magnitude greater than electrostatic gradients, allowing acceleration of polar as well as polarizable molecules and atoms. This concept has already been used to accelerate ultracold atoms in a very weak optical periodic potentials, or lattices, and acceleration up to the velocities in the m/s velocity was observed. We report on the study of acceleration of polarizable particles to velocities in excess of 10 km/s range in an accelerated optical lattice, using high intensity pulsed fields.
It is experimentally demonstrated that a beam of neutral dipolar molecules can be efficiently decelerated with a time-varying electric field. A pulsed beam of neutral metastable CO molecules is slowed down from 225 m/s ( ${E}_{\mathrm{kin}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}59{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) to 98 m/s ( ${E}_{\mathrm{kin}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}11{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) upon passage through an array of 63 synchronously pulsed electric field stages.