EPJ Techn Instrum (2016) 3: 2
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjti/s40485-015-0028-4

Review

Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

^* e-mail: s.hogan@ucl.ac.uk

Received: 27 October 2015
Accepted: 27 December 2015
Published online: 1 March 2016

Abstract

The large electric dipole moments associated with highly excited Rydberg states of atoms and molecules make gas-phase samples in these states very well suited to deceleration and trapping using inhomogeneous electric fields. The methods of Rydberg-Stark deceleration with which this can be achieved are reviewed here. Using these techniques, the longitudinal motion of beams of atoms and molecules moving at speeds as high as 2500 m/s have been manipulated, with changes in kinetic energy of up to |Δ E _kin|=1.3×10⁻²⁰ J (|Δ E _kin|/e=80 meV or |Δ E _kin|/h c=650 cm ⁻¹) achieved, while decelerated and trapped samples with number densities of 10⁶– 10⁷ cm ⁻³ and translational temperatures of ∼150 mK have been prepared. Applications of these samples in areas of research at the interface between physics and physical chemistry are discussed.