Modeling Trajectories of Cold Atoms in Flight

In the Goodsell lab, we use laser cooling and launching with a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The goal of the research is to observe atoms in highly excited states as they interact with varying electric fields. Using the MOT, a... [ view full abstract ]

In the Goodsell lab, we use laser cooling and launching with a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The goal of the research is to observe atoms in highly excited states as they interact with varying electric fields. Using the MOT, a cloud of rubidium atoms is cooled to temperatures below 1 Kelvin, trapped and suspended in an evacuated chamber, and launched upwards. We measured the launched atoms mid-flight as they pass through two narrow laser beams and absorb resonant photons, and we determined the velocity of the launched atom cloud to be 5.5 ± 0.5 m/s. Additionally, we use numerical modeling to visualize and predict the attraction and repulsion of highly excited atoms in an electric field. With this model, we determine the position, velocity, and acceleration of the atoms as they respond to the electric field created by a thin wire. We have discovered that atoms launched with a large impact parameter can still intersect with the wire surface.