Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Normal-incidence electrostatic Rydberg atom mirror.

E Vliegen1, F Merkt

  • 1Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie, ETH Zürich CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.

Physical Review Letters
|August 16, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Characterisation of the electronic ground states of BaH<sup>+</sup> and BaD<sup>+</sup> by high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2024
Same author

Characterisation of the ground X<sup>+ 2</sup>Π<sub></sub> and first excited A<sup>+ 2</sup>Σ<sup>+</sup> electronic states of MgO<sup>+</sup> by high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2024
Same author

High-Resolution Photoelectron Spectroscopy of the Ground and First Excited Electronic States of MgXe<sup></sup>.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2024
Same author

Zero-Quantum-Defect Method and the Fundamental Vibrational Interval of H_{2}^{+}.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Erratum: "Rovibronic analysis of the Jahn-Teller effect in CH<sub>2</sub>D<sub>2</sub> <sup>+</sup> at low energies" [J. Chem. Phys. 131, 024309 (2009)].

The Journal of chemical physics·2021
Same author

Erratum: "Jahn-Teller effect in tetrahedral symmetry: Large-amplitude tunneling motion and rovibronic structure of CH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup> and CD<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup>" [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 144305 (2007)].

The Journal of chemical physics·2021
Same journal

Erratum: Bacterial Turbulence at Compressible Fluid Interfaces [Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 138301 (2026)].

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Unveiling Light-Quark Yukawa Flavor Structure via Dihadron Fragmentation at Lepton Colliders.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Adaptable Route to Fast Coherent State Transport via Bang-Bang-Bang Protocols.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Topological Transition and Emergence of Elasticity of Dislocation in Skyrmion Lattice: Beyond Kittel's Magnetic-Polar Analogy.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Pound-Drever-Hall Method for Superconducting-Qubit Readout.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Coupling a ^{73}Ge Nuclear Spin to an Electrostatically Defined Quantum Dot in Silicon.

Physical review letters·2026
See all related articles

Researchers developed a Rydberg atom mirror, stopping and reflecting hydrogen atoms using electric fields. This novel mirror technology demonstrates efficient atom manipulation for advanced applications.

Area of Science:

  • Atomic Physics
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Rydberg atoms are highly excited atoms with large principal quantum numbers.
  • Electrostatic mirrors can manipulate charged particles, but their application to neutral Rydberg atoms is challenging.
  • Controlling atomic trajectories is crucial for quantum technologies and precision measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and experimentally validate a novel Rydberg atom mirror.
  • To demonstrate the principle of stopping and reflecting a beam of hydrogen atoms using Rydberg states.
  • To explore the potential of electrostatic fields in manipulating highly excited atoms.

Main Methods:

  • A supersonic expansion beam of hydrogen atoms was generated.
  • Atoms were photoexcited to n=27 Rydberg states, inducing a positive Stark shift.

Related Experiment Videos

  • A quadrupolar electrostatic mirror was used to create a rapidly increasing electric field.
  • Pulsed field ionization and imaging techniques monitored the atom reflection process.

    • Main Results:

    • The Rydberg atom mirror successfully stopped a 720 m/s hydrogen atom beam in 4.8 microseconds.
    • The atoms were reflected within 1.9 mm of the photoexcitation point.
    • The experimental setup confirmed the operational principle of the designed Rydberg atom mirror.

    Conclusions:

    • A functional Rydberg atom mirror has been successfully designed and tested.
    • This demonstrates a new method for controlling the motion of neutral Rydberg atoms.
    • The developed technique offers potential for advancements in atomic manipulation and quantum technologies.