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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 2: Quantum Gases (Bosons) I

Q 2.7: Talk

Monday, March 14, 2022, 15:45–16:00, Q-H10

Spectroscopy of heteronuclear xenon-noble gas mixtures - Towards Bose-Einstein condensation of vacuum-ultraviolet photons — •Thilo vom Hövel, Eric Boltersdorf, Frank Vewinger, and Martin Weitz — Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn, Wegelerstr. 8, 53115 Bonn

In the vacuum-ultraviolet regime (VUV, 100 - 200 nm), realizing lasers is difficult, as excited state lifetimes scale as 1/ω³, resulting in the need of high pump powers to achieve population inversion in active media. We propose an experimental approach for the realization of a coherent light source in the VUV based on Bose-Einstein condensation of photons. In our group, Bose-Einstein condensation of visible photons is investigated using liquid dye solutions as thermalization media in wavelength-sized optical microcavities, the latter providing a non-trivial low-energy ground state the photons condense into.

Conveying these principles into the VUV, a suitable thermalization medium has to be found. For this, we here consider heteronuclear mixtures of xenon and another noble gas atom as a potential candidate, with absorption re-emission cycles on the transition from the atomic ground state (5p⁶) to the lowest electronically excited state (5p⁵6s) and emission from a lightly bound heteronuclear excimer state for thermalization. We report on the results of current spectroscopic measurements, investigating VUV line profiles of samples containing xenon and different noble gases. Also, the data is tested for the validity of the Kennard-Stepanov relation, a fundamental prerequisite for the suitability of a medium as thermalization mediator in the scheme.