Group Seminar at LMU & Zoom: Ultralong-range Rydberg molecules
Prof. Dr. Johannes Deiglmayr, Felix-Bloch Institut, Universität Leipzig
Group Meeting in seminar room H 107 at LMU and via video conference (Zoom)
Friday, April 29th, 2 p.m. (MEZ)
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the group seminar will be a hybrid event, allowing participants to attend the seminar virtually and
in-person. This procedure enables us to continue our research, enhance discussions and exchange important information.
Abstract:
Long-range Rydberg molecules are molecules in highly-excited electronic states where the binding results from the scattering of an almost free electron from neutral atoms within its orbit. The existence of such bound states was first predicted by Greene and coworkers in 2000 [1] and confirmed experimentally by Bendkowsky and coworkers in 2009 [2]. Since then, numerous experimental and theoretical studies have resulted in a solid understanding of the exotic properties of these molecules [3]. In this talk I will present recent results from our lab on homonuclear Cs2, K2, and heteronuclear KCs long-range Rydberg molecules [4] and introduce millimeter-wave photodissociation as a new tool to probe the properties of long-range Rydberg molecules [5]. The potential of this new experimental tool is demonstrated by i) performing a remote spin flip on a free ground-state atom through the weak interaction with a Rydberg atom and by ii) reconstructing the electronic and vibrational wavefunction of the LRM from projective measurements. Long-range Rydberg molecules offer a promising route towards the formation of an ultracold plasma of equal-mass charges [6]. I will present the current status of our experimental efforts towards reaching this goal.
[1] C. H. Greene, A. S. Dickinson, and H. R. Sadeghpour, Creation of Polar and Nonpolar Ultra-Long-Range Rydberg Molecules, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2458 (2000).
[2] V. Bendkowsky, B. Butscher, J. Nipper, J. P. Shaffer, R. Löw, and T. Pfau, Observation of Ultralong-Range Rydberg Molecules, Nature 458, 1005 (2009).
[3] For recent reviews see, e.g., J. P. Shaffer, S. T. Rittenhouse, and H. R. Sadeghpour, Ultracold Rydberg Molecules, Nature Communications 9, 1965 (2018); M. T. Eiles, Trilobites, Butterflies, and Other Exotic Specimens of Long-Range Rydberg Molecules, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 52, 113001 (2019); C. Fey, F. Hummel, and P. Schmelcher, Ultralong-Range Rydberg Molecules, Molecular Physics 118, e1679401 (2020)
[4] M. Peper and J. Deiglmayr, Heteronuclear Long-Range Rydberg Molecules, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 013001 (2021).
[5] M. Peper and J. Deiglmayr, Photodissociation of Long-Range Rydberg Molecules, Phys. Rev. A 102, 062819 (2020).
[6] M. Peper and J. Deiglmayr, Formation of Ultracold Ion Pairs through Long-Range Rydberg Molecules, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 53, 064001 (2020).
If you would like to join our group seminar via Zoom, please contact us for more information.