Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Rydberg atoms, which have a highly excited outer electron, are easily manipulated by electric fields. Using a magneto-optical trap, we cool Rubidium atoms to a few hundred millionths of a Kelvin above absolute zero and then excite to Rydberg states. Our first project looks at the dipole-dipole interactions of two atoms starting in the 33p state and ending in the 34s and 33s states. The standard technique is to apply an increasing electric field that ionizes the Rydberg electron and sends it to a detector, but unfortunately the signals overlap. A genetic algorithm is used to separate the signals by controlling the ionization pathway. In order to understand how a Rydberg atom ionizes we need to build a model. The current model, which uses a semi-empirical formula, neglects important quantum phase information. In our second project we are building a computational model that includes continuum states along with discrete states. We present progress on a new model which takes into account the differences in normalization for continuum and discrete states.
Author: Lauren Yoast
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2951678377