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DE-SC0024621: Plasma In-situ Non-invasive Quantum-Enhanced Diagnostics(PINQuED)

Award Status: Active
  • Institution: The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
  • UEI: EVWJPCY6AD97
  • DUNS: 074762238
  • Most Recent Award Date: 07/29/2024
  • Number of Support Periods: 2
  • PM: Akli, Kramer
  • Current Budget Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2025
  • Current Project Period: 09/01/2023 - 08/31/2026
  • PI: Novikova, Irina
  • Supplement Budget Period: N/A
 

Public Abstract

Plasma In-situ Non-invasive Quantum-Enhanced Diagnostics (PINQuED)
I. Novikova, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (Principal Investigator)
S. Mordijck, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (Co-Investigator)
S. Aubin,The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (Co-Investigator)

E. Mikhailov, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (Co-Investigator)

 

Electric fields are ubiquitous in plasmas but we currently do not have non-invasive methods to measure these electric fields. In low temperature plasmas we can use probes to determine the electric field by measuring the potential. However, fusion plasmas are too hot for the probe measurements. Moreover, non-invasive measurements are necessary to measure electric fields that develop as a result of interactions with solid materials. In this proposal we seek to develop a non-invasive electric field diagnostic based on all-optical control of quantum coherences in atoms. Such an approach has already yielded atom-based quantum sensors to achieve record sensitivities for electric and magnetic fields, and our goal will be to adopt these quantum sensing methods for the in-situ electric fields in plasmas. Specifically, we will use a two-photon nonlinear process called electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). This method allows to link changes in optical transmission with the minute variations in atomic energy levels, and it was successfully implemented to precisely measure external electromagnetic fields in wide variety of systems. Here we will exploit this high sensitivity to its environment to accurately monitor spatial and temporal variations of the effect of the plasma’s electric field on quantum states of highly-excited (Rydberg) atoms.

In this proposal we plan to

  • Develop the Rb-based quantum sensing diagnostic to obtain spatially resolved measurements of the electric fields in plasmas to study sheath formation.
  • Investigate the ionization of Rb in typical plasmas.
  • Expand the quantum sensing diagnostic leveraging the same quantum physics approach as for Rb, but using metastable He.

Our research findings will constitute the first step toward development of the  non-invasive all-optical method for reconstructing the electric field inside plasmas, and can be in the future extended toward high-resolution in-situ optical probe of local electric and magnetic fields. Such tool will enable new insights in plasma dynamics and interaction with surfaces.