Creation of an Ultracold Neutral Plasma

Published

December 1, 1999

Author(s)

T C. Killian, S Kulin, S D. Bergeson, Luis A. Orozco, C R. Orzel, S L. Rolston

Abstract

We report the creation of an ultracold neutral plasma by photoionization of laser-cooled xenon atoms. The charge carrier density is as high as 2 x 10⁹ cm^-3, and the temperatures of electrons and ions are as low as 100 mK and10 K, respectively. Plasma behavior is evident in the trapping of electrons by the positive ion cloud when the Debye screening length becomes smaller than the size of the sample. The parameters of the plasma can be such that both electrons and ions are strongly coupled.

Citation

Physical Review Letters

Volume

83

Issue

No. 23

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

laser cooling, neutral plasma, strongly coupled plasma, ultracold plasma

Citation

Killian, T. , Kulin, S. , Bergeson, S. , Orozco, L. , Orzel, C. and Rolston, S. (1999), Creation of an Ultracold Neutral Plasma, Physical Review Letters (Accessed April 17, 2026)