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Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

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Efficient production of Rydberg positronium.

D B Cassidy¹, T H Hisakado, H W K Tom

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521-0413, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|March 10, 2012

Summary

Researchers efficiently produced Rydberg positronium (Ps) atoms using a two-step laser excitation process. This advancement may enable direct measurements of positronium

Area of Science:

Atomic Physics
Quantum Mechanics
Positronium Research

Background:

Positronium (Ps) is a fundamental leptonic atom, crucial for testing quantum electrodynamics (QED).
Producing Rydberg states of positronium is challenging due to its short lifetime and rapid decay mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally demonstrate an efficient method for producing Rydberg positronium atoms.
To investigate the efficiency factors limiting Rydberg positronium production.
To explore the potential applications of efficiently produced Rydberg positronium.

Main Methods:

A two-step laser excitation process was employed, first exciting positronium to the 2(3)P state.
Subsequent laser excitation populated Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers from 10 to 25.

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Measurements focused on excitation efficiency and factors influencing overall Rydberg atom production.

Main Results:

High efficiency (~90%) was achieved for excitation from the 2(3)P state to Rydberg levels.
Overall Rydberg positronium production efficiency (~25%) was primarily limited by spectral overlap with the Doppler-broadened transition.
Suppression of stimulated emission, possibly via Stark sublevel intermixing, explains observed efficiencies.

Conclusions:

Efficient production of Rydberg positronium atoms has been experimentally demonstrated.
The methodology shows promise for generating long-lived Rydberg positronium in high magnetic fields.
This technique could pave the way for direct measurements of positronium's gravitational free fall.