Abstract
Antihydrogen atoms are produced at CERN in highly excited Rydberg states. However, precision measurements require anti-atoms in ground state. Whereas experiments currently rely on spontaneous emission only, simulations have shown that THz light can be used to stimulate the decay towards ground state and thus increase the number of anti-atoms available for measurements. We review different possibilities at hand to generate light in the THz range required for the purpose of stimulated deexcitation. We demonstrate the effect of a blackbody type light source, which however presents drawbacks for this application including strong photoionization. Further, we report on the first THz transitions in a beam of Rydberg caesium atoms induced by photomixers and conclude with the implications of the results for the antihydrogen case.Graphic abstract
Highlights
After years of technical developments, antihydrogen (H ) atoms can be regularly produced at CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator complex [1,2,3]. This anti-atom is used for stringent tests of the Charge-Parity-Time (CPT) symmetry as well as for the direct measurements of the effect of the Earth’s gravitational acceleration on antimatter
Via the charge exchange (CE) reaction, specific n ∼ 30 values can be targeted resulting in a narrower spread in n that is mainly determined by the velocity and velocity distribution of the impinging Ps [9,10,11]
D (2021) 75 :27 fast spontaneously decaying levels was studied. Such techniques allow to increase the ground state fraction within a few microseconds which corresponds to an average flight path of the atoms on the order of centimeters
Summary
After years of technical developments, antihydrogen (H ) atoms can be regularly produced at CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator complex [1,2,3]. This anti-atom is used for stringent tests of the Charge-Parity-Time (CPT) symmetry as well as for the direct measurements of the effect of the Earth’s gravitational acceleration on antimatter. Given the currently achieved formation temperatures, this results, for experiments that rely on an antihydrogen beam, in a large fraction of atoms remaining in excited states before escaping the formation region which complicates beam formation and hinders in-situ measurements. In a previous publication [14] the stimulation of atomic transitions in (anti-)hydrogen using appropriate light in order to couple the initial population to
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
