Heating and cooling of electrons in an ultracold neutral plasma using Rydberg atoms

Crockett, E. V.; Newell, R. C.; Robicheaux, F.; Tate, Duncan A.

doi:10.1103/physreva.98.043431

Heating and cooling of electrons in an ultracold neutral plasma using Rydberg atoms

Journal Article · Wed Oct 24 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.98.043431· OSTI ID:1611744

Crockett, E. V. ^[1]; Newell, R. C. ^[2]; Robicheaux, F. ^[3]; Tate, Duncan A. ^[4]

Colby College, Waterville, ME (United States); Lincoln Financial Group, Boston, MA (United States); DOE/OSTI
Colby College, Waterville, ME (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
Colby College, Waterville, ME (United States)

We have experimentally demonstrated both heating and cooling of electrons in an ultracold neutral plasma (UNP) by embedding Rydberg atoms into the plasma soon after its creation. We have determined the relationship between the initial electron temperature, T_e,i, and the binding energy of the added Rydberg atoms, E_b, at the crossover between heating and cooling behaviors (that is, the binding energy of the atoms, which, when they are added to the plasma, neither accelerate nor slow down the plasma expansion). Specifically, this condition is |E_b| ≈ 2.7×k_BT_e,i when the diagnostic used is the effect of the Rydberg atoms on the plasma asymptotic expansion velocity. Additionally, we have obtained experimental estimates for the amount of heating or cooling which occurs when the Rydberg binding energy does not satisfy the crossover condition. The experimental results for the crossover condition, and the degree of heating or cooling away from the crossover, are in agreement with predictions obtained from numerical modeling of the interactions between Rydberg atoms and the plasma. Here, we have also developed a simple intuitive picture of how the Rydberg atoms affect the plasma, which supports the concept of a “bottleneck” in the Rydberg state distribution of atoms in equilibrium with a coexisting plasma.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012193

OSTI ID:: 1611744

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1478692

Journal Information:: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 98; ISSN 2469-9926

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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