Ultracold Neutral Plasma Produced by One-Color Two-Photon Ionization in Supersonic Nitric Oxide Molecular Beam
LI Hui1,2, SHI Zhe1,2, LIU Jin-Bo2, GUO Jing-Wei2**, ZHOU Can-Hua, CAI Hong-Xing 1, CAI Xiang-Long1,2
1Science School, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022 2Key Laboratory of Chemical Laser, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Dalian 116023
Abstract：Nitric oxide (NO) is cooled to 1 K in a seeded Ar supersonic molecular beam. NO molecules are ionized by one-color two-photon resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) process to form an ultracold plasma. The density of the ionized molecules in the illuminated volume approaches to 1.5 × 1013 cm?3. Prompt electrons, plasma electrons and intact NO+ ions are produced during this process. Experimental results confirm that the lifetime of this ultracold plasma is longer than 18.3 μs. This is the first report of NO ultracold plasma with significant lifetime produced by one-color two-photon REMPI process.
2013, Vol. 30 
