The scientific component of this CAREER award is a project that will use state-of-the-art laser cooling and trapping techniques to produce cold and trapped Rydberg atoms. Different methods of Rydberg atom trapping will be demonstrated and characterized. Once formed, cold and trapped Rydberg atoms will be used to study high-density Rydberg systems and to perform high-precision spectroscopy and atom interferometry with Rydberg atoms. The research component will be accompanied by a summer outreach program directed toward high school students.
