Producing long-lived $2^3\text{S}$ Ps via $3^3\text{P}$ laser excitation in magnetic and electric fields

S. Aghion; C. Amsler; M. Antonello; A. Belov; G. Bonomi; R. S. Brusa; M. Caccia; A. Camper; R. Caravita; F. Castelli; G. Cerchiari; D. Comparat; G. Consolati; A. Demetrio; L. Di Noto; M. Doser; C. Evans; M. Fani; R. Ferragut; J. Fesel; A. Fontana; S. Gerber; M. Giammarchi; A. Gligorova; F. Guatieri; P. Hackstock; S. Haider; A. Hinterberger; H. Holmestad; A. Kellerbauer; O. Khalidova; D. Krasnicky; V. Lagormarsino; P. Lansonneur; P. Lebrun; C. Malbrunot; S. Mariazzi; J. Marton; V. Matveev; Z. Mazzotta; S. R. Muller; G. Nebbia; P. Nedelec; M. Oberthaler; D. Pagano; L. Penasa; V. Petracek; F. Prelz; M. Prevedelli; B. Rienaecker; J. Robert; O. M. Rohne; A. Rotondi; H. Sandacker; R. Santoro; L. Smestad; F. Sorrentino; G. Testera; I. C. Tietje; M. Vujanovic; E. Widmann; P. Yzombard; C. Zimmer; J. Zmeskal; N. Zurlo

doi:10.1103/physreva.98.013402

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arXiv · 1802.07012

Producing long-lived $2^3\text{S}$ Ps via $3^3\text{P}$ laser excitation in magnetic and electric fields

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Abstract

Producing positronium (Ps) in the metastable $2^3\text{S}$ state is of interest for various applications in fundamental physics. We report here about an experiment in which Ps atoms are produced in this long-lived state by spontaneous radiative decay of Ps excited to the $3^3\text{P}$ level manifold. The Ps cloud excitation is obtained with a UV laser pulse in an experimental vacuum chamber in presence of guiding magnetic field of 25 mT and an average electric field of 300 V/cm. The indication of the $2^3\text{S}$ state production is obtained from a novel analysis technique of single-shot positronium annihilation lifetime spectra. Its production efficiency relative to the total amount of formed Ps is evaluated by fitting a simple rate equations model to the experimental data and found to be $ (2.1 \pm 1.3) \, \% $.

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S. Aghion, C. Amsler, M. Antonello, A. Belov, G. Bonomi, R. S. Brusa, M. Caccia, A. Camper, R. Caravita, F. Castelli, G. Cerchiari, D. Comparat, G. Consolati, A. Demetrio, L. Di Noto, M. Doser, C. Evans, M. Fani, R. Ferragut, J. Fesel, A. Fontana, S. Gerber, M. Giammarchi, A. Gligorova, F. Guatieri, P. Hackstock, S. Haider, A. Hinterberger, H. Holmestad, A. Kellerbauer, O. Khalidova, D. Krasnicky, V. Lagormarsino, P. Lansonneur, P. Lebrun, C. Malbrunot, S. Mariazzi, J. Marton, V. Matveev, Z. Mazzotta, S. R. Muller, G. Nebbia, P. Nedelec, M. Oberthaler, D. Pagano, L. Penasa, V. Petracek, F. Prelz, M. Prevedelli, B. Rienaecker, J. Robert, O. M. Rohne, A. Rotondi, H. Sandacker, R. Santoro, L. Smestad, F. Sorrentino, G. Testera, I. C. Tietje, M. Vujanovic, E. Widmann, P. Yzombard, C. Zimmer, J. Zmeskal, N. Zurlo. 2018-02-20. Producing long-lived $2^3\text{S}$ Ps via $3^3\text{P}$ laser excitation in magnetic and electric fields. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.98.013402

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