High-voltage generation system for a traveling-wave Stark decelerator

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Experimental Physics
• High-Voltage Engineering

Background:

• Precision spectroscopy of cold molecules is crucial for fundamental physics tests.
• Traveling-wave Stark decelerators (TWSDs) enable precise control of molecular beam velocities.
• Developing stable high-voltage systems is essential for TWSD operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a high-voltage generation system for a TWSD.
• To achieve precise control over pulsed sinusoidal waveforms for molecular deceleration.
• To overcome challenges posed by capacitive coupling in long decelerators.

Main Methods:

• Developed a system generating eight phase-offset pulsed sinusoidal waveforms with linear frequency sweeps.
• Implemented a compensation method for frequency-dependent capacitive coupling between channels.
• Achieved waveform control with amplitude and phase deviations within 1% and 2°, respectively.

Main Results:

• The system successfully decelerates heavy neutral polar molecules (e.g., SrF, BaF) from ~200 m/s to ~6 m/s.
• Demonstrated stable generation of eight 10 kV pulsed waveforms with frequency sweeps from 16.7 kHz to 500 Hz.
• The developed method effectively compensates for ~160 pF capacitive coupling, ensuring waveform integrity.

Conclusions:

• The novel high-voltage system provides superior stability, voltage amplitude, and cost-effectiveness over commercial options.
• This technology enhances precision spectroscopy for fundamental physics research.
• The waveform control method is applicable to other fields requiring precise high-voltage manipulation.