Design of a biased Stark trap of molecules that move adiabatically in an electric field

It is shown that Maxwell's equations in a vacuum do not allow for a local maximum in the value of the electric field E{sup 2}, but do allow for a local minimum. Such a field minimum creates a trap of neutral particles that exhibit a Stark effect. Specific criteria are given for the design of such a trap and results of numerical calculations of sample trap potentials are presented.