Electrostatic trapping of N$_2$ molecules in high Rydberg states

Abstract

N$_2$ molecules traveling in pulsed supersonic beams have been excited from their ${\mathrm{X\,^1\Sigma_{\mathrm{g}}^+}}$ ground electronic state to long-lived Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers between 39 and 48 using a resonance-enhanced two-color three-photon excitation scheme. The Rydberg states populated had static electric dipole moments exceeding $5000$ D which allowed deceleration of the molecules to rest in the laboratory-fixed frame of reference and three-dimensional trapping using inhomogeneous electric fields. The trapped molecules were confined for up to 10 ms, with effective trap decay time constants increasing with principal quantum number, and ranging from 450$\mu$s to 700 $\mu$s. These observations, and comparison with the results of similar measurements with He atoms, indicate that the decay dynamics of the trapped Rydberg N$_2$ molecules are dominated by spontaneous emission and do not exhibit significant contributions from effects of intramolecular interactions that lead to non-radiative decay.