Cryogenic atomic hydrogen beam apparatus with velocity characterization

Abstract

Precision spectroscopy of hydrogen often relies on effusive thermal atomic beams, and the uncertainty in the velocity distribution of these beams can introduce systematic errors and complicate lineshape models. Here, we present an apparatus capable of high signal-to-noise studies of these velocity distributions at cryogenic temperatures for both ground state (1S) and metastable (2S) hydrogen using a simple time-of-flight technique. We also investigate how the cryogenic nozzle geometry affects these results.