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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 67: Poster Teilchenoptik

Q 67.1: Poster

Donnerstag, 22. März 2007, 16:30–18:30, Poster C

Matter wave interferometry for detecting collision between K atoms and K₂ molecules — •Sha Liu, Ivan Sherstov, Horst Knöckel, Christian Lisdat, and Eberhard Tiemann — Institut für Quantenoptik, Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover

We apply the method of matter wave interferometry implemented for K₂ molecules to investigate cold collisions between K atoms and molecules. The matter wave is coherently split and recombined by laser fields in a Ramsey-Bordé configuration. The two exits of this interferometer, with molecules in the excited state or in the ground state, give complementary detection schemes of the interference signal. The goal of this experiment is to investigate the suitability of such interferometer as a detector for collisions and to interpret the observed changes of the interference pattern in terms of the interaction potential between K and K₂. By means of resonant laser light, atoms are deflected out of the molecular beam and the atomic density decreases by one order of magnitude. Under such conditions we observe a phase shift of the interference structure relating to a pressure shift in the order of 10kHz for the selected molecular transition of K₂. The detection scheme for the ground state exit is set downstream of the particle beam sufficiently away from the interferometer zone for a good separation of the signals of both exits. Although the signals are in principle complementary to each other and can be recorded simultaeously, due to additional freedom in the experiment the ground state exit gives simpler profiles of the signals. The actual status of the experiment will be presented.