3
$\begingroup$

I have been researching ion traps (of singular atoms) recently and have become curious about neutral atom trapping and in particular if it is possible to trap neutral atoms while they are "hot". Furthermore, I wonder if it is possible that a "hot" ion/atom (neutral) could be trapped in a small volume while still being "hot".

When I refer to "hot" I mean the atoms have not been cooled and therefore slowed by the trapping method, hence a "hot" atom is fast-moving such as a room-temperature gas.

From my research it seems all trapping methods cool atoms /ions, hence my question is:

Can we contain neutral atoms in dense regions (low volumes) while they still maintain a high collision frequency / higher temperature?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
5
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I trap room temperature gas all the time. What do you mean by a small volume? $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 17:44
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @JonCuster isn't it obvious (it doesn't make sense any other way) that the question is about trapping a single atom, or maybe, a neutron, without having it to hit a solid wall but more like capture it in some kind of modified Penning trap? $\endgroup$
    – Gyro Gearloose
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 17:47
  • $\begingroup$ @GyroGearloose - ‘trapping’ a room temperature atom in a ‘modified’ Penning trap makes no sense either. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 17:50
  • $\begingroup$ @JonCuster Yes, but that is to me what the question is about. $\endgroup$
    – Gyro Gearloose
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 17:51
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Even if the answers and comments are not what you intended and got astray, you've started an interesting discussion. $\endgroup$
    – Gyro Gearloose
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:39

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4
$\begingroup$

enter image description here

Sorry, couldn't resist. To get a more serious answer than this I think the question needs to be more clear on what the goals/constraints are in terms of trapping hot neutral atoms.

Actually, thinking about this a little more: Check out blue box traps: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.09716.pdf detuned optical fields can be used to trap neutral atoms. Typically you take a laser beam, red detune it from a transition, and then the atom is attracted to a point of high intensity, like the focus.

But, in these blue box traps, you can blue detune the beam so that it is repulsive. You can then surround a region of space with blue detuned beams so that the atoms travel freely within the volume but are repelled from the boundary. The trapping potential depends on the laser intensity, so higher intensity can trap hotter atoms. I think in principle you can trap room temperature neutral atoms.

The jpg at the top of this answer is still the correct answer though :)

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ The thought behind the question is: Can we contain atoms in dense regions while they still have high collision frequency between atoms? I will include this in an edit of the question. $\endgroup$
    – user371346
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:29
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @Jack well.. there can be ultra cold gases that have high collision frequency (these would be called strongly interacting quantum gases) $\endgroup$
    – Jagerber48
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:39
  • $\begingroup$ I have been reading up on optical trapping some more. In the report you mentioned and similar reports, the atoms are always cooled down to nK temperatures. I have read that this is not a necessary part of the trapping process, but instead done to allow for more accurate measurement results, is this true? Can the same process such as the report you mentioned trap the neutral atoms, allowing them to "freely" move as hot atoms, at temperatures similar to room temp? $\endgroup$
    – user371346
    Commented Feb 2 at 10:57
  • $\begingroup$ @Jack "I have read that this is not a necessary part of the trapping process, but instead done to allow for more accurate measurement results, is this true?" in "standard" ultracold neutral atom and ion traps the optical/magnetic/electric traps have finite "trap depths". The trap depth is the depth of the potential well holding that atoms. If an atom has more thermal energy than the trap depth it will not be trapped. For neutral atoms I guess these trap depths typically only go up to the mK scale. For ions I think they can go up to a few K?? $\endgroup$
    – Jagerber48
    Commented Feb 20 at 13:57
  • $\begingroup$ It sounds like you are asking of "standard" ultracold atomic physics trapping techniques can be scaled up to room temperature trap depths. The answer is probably not, because at higher temperatures you can use easier methods of trapping like... a jar... $\endgroup$
    – Jagerber48
    Commented Feb 20 at 14:00
-1
$\begingroup$

No, you can't.

The reason is that, whatever you want to trap, you have to have some interaction with it.

If the particle is ionized, electro-magnetic fields will do the trick. If it is not, other forces could do, but we do not have technology to use weak atomic force or something else. If anyway about room temperature, the atom will collide against a wall, consisting of other atoms and will be repelled by electro-magnetic generated by those atoms. No way, up to today's knowledge, that you can do it to neutrons (which in some sense are the most simple neutral "atoms").

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
7
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ And yet there are neutral atom traps… $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:15
  • $\begingroup$ @JonCuster link? I always want to learn more, especially where I'm wrong. $\endgroup$
    – Gyro Gearloose
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:16
  • $\begingroup$ see, e.g., physics.stackexchange.com/questions/332426/… $\endgroup$
    – Rococo
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:19
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ First Google hit I get is europhysicsnews.org/articles/epn/pdf/1988/05/epn19881905p68.pdf $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:21
  • $\begingroup$ @Jon Custer, although any Laser (optical) method and magnetic and Electric field-based trap will cool the atoms due to the nature of operation in confining the atoms and reducing their KE, at least that was my belief. I am wondering if there is some approach that confines atoms in a dense region without cooling them. $\endgroup$
    – user371346
    Commented Dec 29, 2023 at 18:24

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.