Measuring the van der Waals forces between a Rydberg atom and a metallic surface

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.37.3594· OSTI ID:5311156

Anderson, A; Haroche, S; Hinds, E A; Jhe, W; Meschede, D

We have observed the deflection of Rydberg atoms towards a metallic surface by the van der Waals force. Cs and Na atoms in states of principal quantum number n were sent between two parallel gold-coated mirrors, spaced by a gap w (2.1 ..mu..mless than or equal towless than or equal to8.5 ..mu..m). We measured the value n/sub m/ at which the transmission cuts off and from the variation of n/sub m/ versus w, we obtained a measure of the atom-surface interaction. For 12<30 this interaction is 3--4 orders of magnitude larger than for ground-state atoms, and it obeys the scaling laws of the Lennard-Jones model.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, Yale University, P.O. Box 6666, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8167
• OSTI ID: 5311156
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Vol. 37:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CESIUM
VAN DER WAALS FORCES
SODIUM
ATOMS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GROUND STATES
INTERACTION RANGE
METALS
RYDBERG STATES
SCALING LAWS
SURFACES
ALKALI METALS
DISTANCE
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
640301* - Atomic
Molecular &amp; Chemical Physics- Beams &amp; their Reactions