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Quantum Defect Measurements For High Angular Momentum Rydberg States Of Potassium, Abraham Hill
Quantum Defect Measurements For High Angular Momentum Rydberg States Of Potassium, Abraham Hill
Honors Theses
We report measurements of the quantum defect for the f-, g-, and h-states of potassium with principal quantum number n between 26 and 29. Ground state potassium atoms in a magneto-optical trap are excited from the 4s state to the 5p state, then from the 5p state to the ndj state using lasers at 405nm and 980nm, respectively. We then measure the millimeter wave frequencies of the ndj to nl transitions. We extract the quantum defects from these frequency measurements in conjunction with the known d-state quantum defects. Experimental challenges with …
Diode Lasers For Use In Experiments On Cold Rydberg Atoms, Bill Whitledge
Diode Lasers For Use In Experiments On Cold Rydberg Atoms, Bill Whitledge
Honors Theses
This project was to measure the atomic density of (85)Rb atoms in a magneto optical trap using a low-intensity probe laser. Additionally, a dark spontaneous force optical trap was constructed in an attempt to boost the trap density. The dark spot failed to appreciably increase the overall trap density (which remained steady at - N = 10^10 atoms/cm^3) but it did increase the density of dark-state atoms in the trap by an order of magnitude. This is a useful result since many experiments on cold Rydberg atoms involve exciting atoms starting in the ground state rather than the first excited …