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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 32: Poster: Quantum gases, ultracold atoms and molecules
Q 32.60: Poster
Mittwoch, 19. März 2014, 16:30–18:30, Spree-Palais
Cold atomic collisions of metastable Neon atoms — •Christian Cop and Reinhold Walser — TU Darmstadt, Institute of Applied Physics, Germany
In the group of G. Birkl, at the University of Darmstadt, the prospects to condense metastable neon atoms (Ne*) to degeneracy are investigated experimentally [1]. The major obstacle towards Bose-Einstein-Condensation of metastable noble gases is the high probability of Penning ionization, which hinders the process of effective evaporative cooling. This ionization process may be suppressed by spin polarization of the samples. For Ne*, the suppression of loss rates can be observed. Interestingly, the two stable bosonic isotopes 20Ne* and 22Ne* behave very differently. For 20Ne*, the suppression ratio is an order of magnitude higher than for 22Ne*.
For a theoretical description of the scattering physics of Ne* at cold and ultracold temperatures it is mandatory to account for quantum-statistical effects. We have adapted models including these effects [2] to a two-channel model which describes the process of Penning Ionization of Ne*. Solving the multi-channel Schrödinger equation for this model reproduces the measured differences between 20Ne* and 22Ne*. We present recent results and explanations.
[1] P. Spoden, M. Zinner, N. Herschbach, W. van Drunen, W. Ertmer, G. Birkl, Phys. Rev. Lett., 94, 223201 (2005)
[2] C. Orzel, M. Walhout, U. Sterr, P.S. Julienne, S.L. Rolston, Phys. Rev. A, 59, 1926 (1999)