Open AccessQuantum Control of Atomic and Molecular Translational Motion
Author(s) -
Mark G. Raizen,
Manfred Fink
Publication year - 2005
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/843186
Subject(s) - scattering , matter wave , physics , beam (structure) , interferometry , atomic physics , molecular beam , phase (matter) , optics , supersonic speed , crystal (programming language) , interference (communication) , quantum , molecule , quantum mechanics , mechanics , electrical engineering , computer science , programming language , engineering , channel (broadcasting)
Our research program focuses on the development of a method to cool atoms and molecules of any choice as long as they have a stable gaseous phase. Our approach starts with a very cold supersonic beam of He seeded with the molecules of choice. The internal temperature can reach 1 milliKelvin or less. The high center of mass velocity of the particles forming the beam will be reduced by elastically scattering the atoms/molecules from a very cold single crystal surface (20-40K), which moves in the beam direction. This will enable the continuous control of the mean velocity over a large range, after scattering, down to a few tens of m/s or even below as the crystal surface's velocity approaches v/2 of the impacting particles. We will use the decelerated particles as a source for a white-fringe matter-wave interferometer, where one reflector is a very cold surface of interest. The interference pattern will reveal the real part (via integral intensities) and the imaginary part (via phase shifts) of the scattering cross sections. This is particularly interesting for H{sub 2} and resonance structures. This interferometer set-up follows closely Prichard's arrangement