Research Highlights
Cold Chemistry - Reactions Under 1K.
At low temperatures wavelike properties of atoms and molecules start dominating reaction dynamics. Classically forbidden phenomena such as tunneling through potential barriers becomes the dominant reaction mechanism.
We have been the first to observe a sharp increase in the reaction rate because of quantum effects at temperatures reaching 0.01K.
In order to achieve this goal we had to develop a completely new approach to experimental cold chemistry.
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We merge two cold supersonic beams using high magnetic fields. We can tune the reaction temperature from room temperature down to 0.01 K. This is almost 3 orders of magnitude lower in energy as compared to other molecular beam based methods.
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Classical Reaction Regime - the chance for reactive interaction is limited to a single collision.
Quantum Reaction Regime - colliding particles tunnel through a potential barrier to become trapped in an orbiting motion. The probability for a chemical interaction is higher due to much longer collision time.
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Moving Magnetic Trap
Supersonic beams generate ensembles of cold and very fast paramagnetic atoms or molecules.
We can load them in a 3D moving magnetic trap and bring them to rest in the laboratory frame of references without losses!
Enables preparation of pure atomic beams with a narrow velocity distribution. Atomic beams such as O, N, H, D, He, Ne, are important in low temperature interstellar chemistry whereas atomic beams of Ni, Fe, Cr and other elements might find technological applications.
Published in Chemical Reviews:
E. Narevicius and M. G. Raizen, "Toward Cold Chemistry with Magnetically Decelerated Supersonic Beams", Chem. Rev. 112, 4879-4889 (2012)
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