A device is provided that can capture and store electrically neutral
excited species of antimatter or exotic matter (a mixture of antimatter
and ordinary matter), in particular, excited positronium (Ps*). The
antimatter trap comprises a three-dimensional or two-dimensional photonic
bandgap (PBG) structure containing at least one cavity therein. The
species are stored in the cavity or in an array of cavities. The PBG
structure blocks premature annihilation of the excited species by
preventing decays to the ground state and by blocking the pickoff process.
A Bose-Einstein Condensate form of Ps* can be used to increase the storage
density. The long lifetime and high storage density achievable in this
device offer utility in several fields, including medicine, materials
testing, rocket motors, high power/high energy density storage, gamma-ray
lasers, and as an ignition device for initiating nuclear fusion reactions
in power plant reactors or hybrid rocket propulsion systems.
