Imaging single Rydberg electrons in a Bose-Einstein condensate
  The quantum mechanical states of electrons in atoms and molecules are distinct orbitals, which are fundamental for our understanding of atoms, molecules and solids. Electronic orbitals determine a wide range of basic atomic properties, allowing also for the explanation of many chemical processes. Here, we propose a novel technique to optically image the shape of electron orbitals of neutral atoms using electron-phonon coupling in a Bose-Einstein condensate. To validate our model we carefully analyze the impact of a single Rydberg electron onto a condensate and compare the results to experimental data. Our scheme requires only well-established experimental techniques that are readily available and allows for the direct capture of textbook-like spatial images of single electronic orbitals in a single shot experiment. 
Tomasz Karpiuk, Miros{\l}aw Brewczyk, Kazimierz Rz\k{a}\.zewski, Anita   Gaj, Jonathan B. Balewski, Alexander T. Krupp, Mich...
physics.atom-ph cond-mat.quant-gas quant-ph