Evolution from a molecular Rydberg gas to an ultracold plasma in a seeded supersonic expansion of NO.
We report the spontaneous formation of a plasma from a gas of cold Rydberg molecules. Double-resonant laser excitation promotes nitric oxide, cooled to 1 K in a seeded supersonic molecular beam, to single Rydberg states extending as deep as 80 cm;{-1} below the lowest ionization threshold. The densi...
| Những tác giả chính: | , , , |
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| Định dạng: | Journal article |
| Ngôn ngữ: | English |
| Được phát hành: |
2008
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| Tóm tắt: | We report the spontaneous formation of a plasma from a gas of cold Rydberg molecules. Double-resonant laser excitation promotes nitric oxide, cooled to 1 K in a seeded supersonic molecular beam, to single Rydberg states extending as deep as 80 cm;{-1} below the lowest ionization threshold. The density of excited molecules in the illuminated volume approaches 1x10;{13} cm;{-3}. This population evolves to produce free electrons and a durable cold plasma of electrons and intact NO+ ions. |
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