Confocal laser microspectroscopic Rabi-flopping study of an iron oxide emitter surface used for Rydberg matter generation.

Rydberg matter (RM) is a novel metal-like material in the form of electronically excited clusters of atoms (e.g. K and H) or molecules (e.g. H(2)). It is used as the inverted laser medium for IR in the RM laser. RM has recently been formed in its lowest state, which is proposed to be metallic hydrogen [Energy and Fuels 19 (2005) 2235]. An emitter material (K-doped iron oxide catalyst) that forms RM is studied by a specialized spectroscopic method, needed to detect the Rydberg states on the emitter surface. The spectroscopic method is phase-delay Rabi-flopping; it gives spectra from the time delay due to the periodic motion of the optical nutation vector. The formation of Rydberg species in the form of complexes K*-M (M a general small molecule) and (K-M)* is studied. So-called avoided transitions in K(+) ions are detected, of the same type as observed as transitions in the RM laser by stimulated emission. The formation and detection of Rydberg complexes containing H and H(2) is of great interest for metallic hydrogen production. Complexes with M=CH(2), H(2)O (or OH), CHO, H(2) and M'H are observed. Avoided transitions in RM clusters K(N)(*) are also identified. The identification of H containing Rydberg complexes on the surface indicates that metallic hydrogen is formed by the same cluster desorption route as other RM clusters.