Trapping Neutral Mercury

Mercury - the Rosetta Stone of Physics?

Surprisingly many important experiments have been performed using Mercury. This is especially true for atomic physics. Examples are:

• 1911: Super-conductivity (Kammerlingh-Onnes)
• 1912: Resonance fluorescence (Wood)
• 1912/26: Quenching of resonance fluorescence
• 1913: Experiments by Franck and Hertz
• 1920/27   Stepwise excitation
• 1923: Hanle Effect
• 1915/23: Pressure broadening
• 1924: Collision induced reactions
• 1950: Optical pumping (Kastler)
• 1976: 1st EPR Experiment w/ lasers (Fry)

Therefore, besides hydrogen mercury is probably the most important element in the history of atomic physics.

Also, in modern times mercury is the basis of fascinating experiments.

Mercury as a trapping species

Mercury offers the opportunity of exciting experiments in cooling and trapping. These include

1. Neutral Mercury as a possible new time standard
2. Formation of ultra-cold molecules by photo-association
3. Bose-Einstein condensation in a meta-stable state