Giant Trilobite Rydberg Molecules: Physicists' Remarkable Discovery
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Phys.org
Physicists at the University of Kaiserslautern have successfully observed trilobite Rydberg molecules, which have a unique shape resembling trilobite fossils and the largest electric dipole moments of any known molecule. Using a specialized apparatus, the researchers prepared these molecules at ultralow temperatures and discovered their distinct chemical binding mechanisms. The molecules are formed through the quantum mechanical scattering of a Rydberg electron from a ground state atom, resulting in an effective attraction. The properties of these molecules, including their interference pattern and large bond length, provide insights into fundamental binding mechanisms and their potential applications in quantum computing.