Lewandowski Group - Cold Ions/Warm Neutrals
Cold Ions/Warm Neutrals

In addition to the pure calcium Coulomb crystals that we can form by laser cooling and trapping Ca+ ions, we can also load other cations of interest into the trap. These molecular cations areÌý sympathetically cooled by Coulomb repulsion with the Ca+. The mixed and pure Coulomb crystals can remain cold and trapped for hours at a time, includingÌýwhile exposed to trace amounts of room temperature neutral gas. Any charged products formed as a result of collisions between the trapped ions and neutral gas are alsoÌýtrapped and cooled.ÌýWe are able to monitor the reactions that occur between the trapped ions and warm neutral gas through fluorescence microscope images and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry.ÌýThis combination ofÌýtechniques form a sensitive and unique environment for physical chemistry and chemical physics.