Using higher ionization states to increase Coulomb coupling in an ultracold neutral plasma

M. Lyon, S. D. Bergeson, A. Diaw, and M. S. Murillo
Phys. Rev. E 91, 033101 – Published 2 March 2015

Abstract

We report measurements and simulations of the time-evolving rms velocity distribution in an ultracold neutral plasma. A strongly coupled ultracold neutral Ca+ plasma is generated by photoionizing laser-cooled atoms close to threshold. A fraction of these ions is then promoted to the second ionization state to form a mixed Ca+Ca2+ plasma. By varying the time delay between the first and the second ionization events, a minimum in ion heating is achieved. We show that the Coulomb strong-coupling parameter Γ increases by a factor of 1.4 to a maximum value of 3.6. A pure Ca2+ plasma would have Γ=6.8, moving these strongly coupled systems closer to the regime of liquid-like correlations.

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  • Received 6 November 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.033101

©2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Lyon1,*, S. D. Bergeson1,†, A. Diaw2, and M. S. Murillo2

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
  • 2New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA

  • *mary_lyon@byu.edu
  • scott.bergeson@byu.edu

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Issue

Vol. 91, Iss. 3 — March 2015

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