First experimental observation of IR emission from Rydberg Matter: detection of light from a deexciting layer

The first successful experiment with IR light emission from the condensed excited material called Rydberg Matter (RM) is reported. RM is formed by desorption from a K doped emitter and deposited on the vacuum side of a reflecting window. The four main emission bands are well fitted by a procedure used previously to match the so called unidentified infrared bands observed in space. The bands are mainly due to transitions n≈50→5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in RM. Two series belonging to different species are probably observed. RM is thus observed by ordinary optical spectroscopy.