Dynamics of resonant energy transfer in a cold Rydberg gas

We investigate excitation transfer and migration processes in a cold gas of rubidium Rydberg atoms. Density-dependent measurements of the resonant population exchange for atoms initially excited into the 32P_3/2(|m_J|=3/2) state are compared with a Monte Carlo model for coherent energy transfer. The model is based on simulations of small atom subensembles involving up to ten atoms interacting via coherent pair processes. The role of interatomic mechanical forces due to the resonant dipole-dipole interaction is investigated. Good agreement is found between the experimental data and the predictions of the model, from which we infer that atomic motion has negligible influence on the energy transfer up to Rydberg densities of 10⁸ cm^-3, that the system has to be described in terms of many-body dynamics, and that the energy transfer preserves coherence on microsecond timescales.     

Observation of the Dipole Blockade Effect in Detecting Rydberg Atoms by the Selective Field Ionization Method

The dipole blockade effect at laser excitation of mesoscopic ensembles of Rydberg atoms lies in the fact that the excitation of one atom to a Rydberg state blocks the excitation of other atoms due to the shift in the collective energy levels of interacting Rydberg atoms. It is used to obtain the entangled qubit states based on single neutral atoms in optical traps. In this paper, we present our experimental results on the observation of the dipole blockade for mesoscopic ensembles of 1–5 atoms when they are detected by the selective field ionization method. We have investigated the spectra of the three-photon laser excitation 5S1/2 → 5P3/2 → 6S1/2 → nP3/2 of cold Rydberg Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap. We have found that for mesoscopic ensembles this method allows only a partial dipole blockage to be observed. This is most likely related to the presence of parasitic electric fields reducing the interaction energy of Rydberg atoms, the decrease in the probability of detecting high states, and the strong angular dependence of the interaction energy of Rydberg atoms in a single interaction volume.     

Electric-field induced dipole blockade with Rydberg atoms

High resolution laser Stark excitation of np (60相似文献   

Cold and ultracold Rydberg atoms in strong magnetic fields

Cold Rydberg atoms exposed to strong magnetic fields possess unique properties which open the pathway for an intriguing many-body dynamics taking place in Rydberg gases, consisting of either matter or anti-matter systems. We review both the foundations and recent developments of the field in the cold and ultracold regime where trapping and cooling of Rydberg atoms have become possible. Exotic states of moving Rydberg atoms, such as giant dipole states, are discussed in detail, including their formation mechanisms in a strongly magnetized cold plasma. Inhomogeneous field configurations influence the electronic structure of Rydberg atoms, and we describe the utility of corresponding effects for achieving tightly trapped ultracold Rydberg atoms. We review recent work on large, extended cold Rydberg gases in magnetic fields and their formation in strongly magnetized ultracold plasmas through collisional recombination. Implications of these results for current antihydrogen production experiments are pointed out, and techniques for the trapping and cooling of such atoms are investigated.     

稀薄里德伯原子气体中的两体纠缠

量子纠缠是量子信息处理和量子计算中不可或缺的物理资源,制备稳定可操控的量子纠缠是研究的热点之一.里德伯原子具有不同于普通中性原子的特点,长寿命和原子之间强烈的偶极相互作用,使得它成为量子信息处理和量子计算的最优候选者.本文在稀薄里德伯原子气体中,构建了空间四面体排布的里德伯原子模型(空间等距的四个原子模型),通过数值求解主方程来研究两体纠缠和里德伯激发的稳态和瞬态动力学性质,发现偶极阻塞机制下的量子纠缠最大,其他满足反偶极阻塞条件的高阶激发引起的纠缠较小,进而从理论上分析了这两种机制下量子纠缠的物理实质.     

Local blockade of Rydberg excitation in an ultracold gas

In the laser excitation of ultracold atoms to Rydberg states, we observe a dramatic suppression caused by van der Waals interactions. This behavior is interpreted as a local excitation blockade: Rydberg atoms strongly inhibit excitation of their neighbors. We measure suppression, relative to isolated atom excitation, by up to a factor of 6.4. The dependences of this suppression on both laser irradiance and atomic density are in good agreement with a mean-field model. These results are an important step towards using ultracold Rydberg atoms in quantum information processing.     

An experimental approach for investigating many-body phenomena in Rydberg-interacting quantum systems

Recent developments in the study of ultracold Rydberg gases demand an adwanced level of experimental sophistication, in which high atomic and optical densities must be combined with excellent control of external fields and sensitive Rydberg atom detection. We describe a tailored experimental system used to produce and study Rydberg-interacting atoms excited from dense ultracold atomic gases. The experiment has been optimized for fast duty cycles using a high flux cold atom source and a three beam optical dipole trap. The latter enables tuning of the atomic density and temperature over several orders of magnitude, all the way to the Bose--Einstein condensation transition. An elec- trode structure surrounding the atoms allows for precise control over electric fields and single-particle sensitive field ionization detection of Rydberg atoms. We review two experiments which highlight the influence of strong Rydberg---Rydberg interactions on different many-body systems. First, the Rydberg blockade effect is used to pre-structure an atomic gas prior to its spontaneous evolution into an ultracold plasma. Second, hybrid states of photons and atoms called dark-state polaritons are studied. By looking at the statistical distribution of Rydberg excited atoms we reveal correlations between dark-state polaritons. These experiments will ultimately provide a deeper understanding of many-body phenomena in strongly-interacting regimes, including the study of strongly-coupled plasmas and interfaces between atoms and light at the quantum level.     

弱射频场中Rydberg原子的电磁感应透明

在铯原子室温蒸气池中研究了弱射频场中Rydberg原子阶梯型三能级系统的电磁感应透明(EIT)效应.铯原子基态6S_(1/2)、第一激发态6P_(3/2)和Rydberg 48D_(5/2)态形成阶梯型三能级系统,探测光共振作用于6S_(1/2)(F=4)→6P_(3/2)(F′=5)的跃迁,耦合光在Rydberg跃迁线6P_(3/2)(F′=5)→48D_(5/2)附近扫描,形成Rydberg原子EIT.当对铯原子施加一个80 MHz的弱射频电场时,48D_(5/2)Rydberg原子的EIT光谱发生Stark频移和分裂,同时产生由射频场调制Rydberg能级的偶数级边带,测量结果与Floquet理论模拟的结果相符合.同时,改变弱射频电场的频率研究了铯Rydberg能级的自电离效应对Rydberg原子Stark谱的影响,据此,我们提出将电极板置于铯原子蒸气池内的方案以减少自电离效应的影响.在弱射频Stark谱中,mj=5/2的Stark谱与mj=1/2,3/2的二级边带形成多个能级交叉,这些能级交叉点提供了一种基于原子的精确校准射频电场的新方法.     

Rydberg series of alkaline-earth atoms Ca through Ba. the interplay of laser spectroscopy and multichannel quantum defect analysis

The purpose of this paper is to show how the strong interplay between the laser spectroscopy measurements and theoretical analyses performed using the multichannel quantum defect theory (MQDT) has considerably enlarged our knowledge of Rydberg states if alkaline-earth atoms Ca through Ba. The major motives for the interest in the two-electron systems is the ability to study interacting Rydberg series. The perturbations of principal Rydberg series by doubly-excited states are reflected not only on the level structure but also in various observable quantities such as oscillator strenghts, lifetimes, hyperfine structure, isotope shifts, Landé factors. The MQDT is a powerful tool for studying the mutual interaction of perturbing series but sometimes energy values represent a too limited data set to derive reliable wavefunctions. Experimental data on observables other than energies are then of prime importance to check or even extend MQDT models deduced from energies. A large part of the paper is devoted to the new possibilities offered by high-resolution spectroscopy to analyze state-mixing and thus to probe MQDT wavefunctions. Numerous illustrative examples as well as several prospects for future experimental and theoretical investigations are presented throughout this paper.     

High-precision three-dimensional Rydberg atom localization in a four-level atomic system

Rydberg atoms have been widely investigated due to their large size, long radiative lifetime, huge polarizability and strong dipole-dipole interactions. The position information of Rydberg atoms provides more possibilities for quantum optics research, which can be obtained under the localization method. We study the behavior of three-dimensional(3 D)Rydberg atom localization in a four-level configuration with the measurement of the spatial optical absorption. The atomic localization precision depends strongly on the detuning and Rabi frequency of the involved laser fields. A 100% probability of finding the Rydberg atom at a specific 3 D position is achieved with precision of ～0.031λ. This work demonstrates the possibility for achieving the 3 D atom localization of the Rydberg atom in the experiment.     

Model Potential Calculations of Oscillator Strength Spectra of Rydberg Li Atoms in External Fields

By combining the B-spline basis set with model potential (B-spline + MP), we present oscillator strength spectra of Rydberg Li atoms in external fields. The photoabsorption spectra are analyzed. Over the narrow energy ranges considered in this paper, the structure of the spectra can be independent of the initial state chosen for a given atom. Our results are in good agreement with previous high-precision experimental data and theoretical calculations, where the R-matrix approach together with multichannel quantum defect theory (R-matrix+MQDT) was used. It is suggested that the present methods can be applied to deal with the oscillator strength spectra of Rydberg atoms in crossed electric and magnetic fields.     

囚禁于巴基球内的原子的里德堡特性

通过非线性变换和特殊设计结点的B样条函数研究计算了囚禁于巴基球内的氢原子里德堡能级结构和振子强度 .结果表明 ,巴基球等效势阱深度可以有选择的影响和改变里德堡原子的特性 ;囚禁原子拥有很多自由原子所没有的奇特性质. Rydberg energy levels and oscillator strength of endohedrally confined H atom have been calculated by using a nonlinear algebraic mapping technique and B-spline method.The boundary conditions are conveniently satisfied with a specially designing knot sequence.Our results show that endohedral can selectively alter the properties and energy levels of Rydberg atoms, and such atoms possess some properties and behaviours which are not previously met or studied in free systems.     

Atom counting statistics in ensembles of interacting Rydberg atoms

We show that the probability distributions for the number of Rydberg excitations in small ensembles of cold atoms, excited using short (100 ns) laser pulses, can be highly sub-Poissonian. The phenomenon occurs if the atom density and the principal quantum number of the excited Rydberg level are sufficiently high. Our observations are attributed to a blockade of the Rydberg atom excitation.     

Absorption and Recurrence Spectra of Nonhydrogenic Rydberg Atom Near a Metal Surface

Multielectron to theoretical treatments atoms near a metal surface are essentially more complicated than hydrogen atom with regard By using the semicalssical dosed orbit theory generalized to the multielecton atoms, we study the dynamical properties of the Rydberg lithium atom near a metal surface. The photoabsorption spectra and recurrence spectra of this system have also been calculated. Considering the effect of the ionic core potential of the Rydberg lithium atom, the number of the closed orbits increases, which leads to more peaks in the recurrence spectra than the case of hydrogen atom near a metal surface. This result shows that the core-scattered effects play an important role in nonhydrogenic atoms. This study is a new application of the closed-orbit theory and is of potential experimental interest.     

Two-electron excitation of an interacting cold Rydberg gas

We report the creation of an interacting cold Rydberg gas of strontium atoms. We show that the excitation spectrum of the inner valence electron is sensitive to the interactions in the Rydberg gas, even though they are mediated by the outer Rydberg electron. By studying the evolution of this spectrum we observe density-dependent population transfer to a state of higher angular momentum l. We determine the fraction of Rydberg atoms transferred, and identify the dominant transfer mechanism to be l-changing electron-Rydberg collisions associated with the formation of a cold plasma.     

Interaction enhanced imaging of individual Rydberg atoms in dense gases

We propose a new all-optical method to image individual Rydberg atoms embedded within dense gases of ground state atoms. The scheme exploits interaction-induced shifts on highly polarizable excited states of probe atoms, which can be spatially resolved via an electromagnetically induced transparency resonance. Using a realistic model, we show that it is possible to image individual Rydberg atoms with enhanced sensitivity and high resolution despite photon-shot noise and atomic density fluctuations. This new imaging scheme could be extended to other impurities such as ions, and is ideally suited to equilibrium and dynamical studies of complex many-body phenomena involving strongly interacting particles. As an example we study blockade effects and correlations in the distribution of Rydberg atoms optically excited from a dense gas.     

Semiclassical calculation of ionisation rate for Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field

The ionisation of Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field above the classical ionisation threshold has been examined using the semiclassical method, with particular emphasis on discussing the influence of the core scattering on the escape dynamics of electrons. The results show that the Rydberg helium atoms ionise by emitting a train of electron pulses. Unlike the case of the ionisation of Rydberg hydrogen atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields, where the pulses of the electron are caused by the external magnetic field, the pulse trains for Rydberg helium atoms are created through core scattering. Each peak in the ionisation rate corresponds to the contribution of one core-scattered combination trajectory. This fact further illustrates that the ionic core scattering leads to the chaotic property of the Rydberg helium atom in external fields. Our studies provide a simple explanation for the escape dynamics in the ionisation of nonhydrogenic atoms in external fields.     

Ultralong-range Rydberg molecules

We review ultralong-range Rydberg molecules (ULRMs), which are bound states between a Rydberg atom and one or more ground-state atoms with bond lengths on the order of thousands of Bohr radii. The binding originates from multiple electron-atom scattering and leads to exotic oscillatory potential energy surfaces that reflect the probability density of the Rydberg electron. This unconventional binding mechanism opens fascinating possibilities to tune molecular properties via weak external fields, to study spin-resolved low-energy electron-atom scattering as well as to control and to probe interatomic forces in few- and many-body systems. Here, we provide an overview on recent theoretical and experimental progress in the field with an emphasis on polyatomic ULRMs, field control and spin interactions.     

Measurement of quantum defect of nS and nD states using field ionization spectroscopy in ultracold cesium atoms

<正>This paper reports that ultracold atoms are populated into different nS and nD Rydberg states(n=25~52) by two-photon excitation.The ionization spectrum of an ultracold Rydberg atom is acquired in a cesium magneto-optical trap by using the method of pulse field ionization.This denotes nS and nD states in the ionization spectrum and fits the data of energy levels of different Rydberg states to obtain quantum defects of nS and nD states.     

超冷铯(60D5/2)2 Rydberg分子的双色光缔合光谱

本文主要从理论和实验上研究超冷铯（60D_5/2）₂ Rydberg分子的双色光缔合光谱.数值计算了铯60D_5/2 Rydberg原子对态的长程电多极相互作用和（60D_5/2）₂ Rydberg分子的绝热势能曲线,获得了（60D_5/2）₂ Rydberg分子的势阱深度和平衡间距.实验上利用双色光缔合超冷铯原子的方法制备了（60D_5/2）₂ Rydberg分子.其中,第一色激光（pulse-A）双光子共振激发种子Rydberg原子A;第二色激光（pulse-B,失谐于分子的束缚能）共振激发第二个Rydberg原子B,原子A与B由分子势阱束缚形成超冷（60D_5/2）₂ Rydberg分子.由脉冲场电离探测技术获得Rydberg分子的光缔合光谱,测量的Rydberg分子的势阱深度与理论计算结果相一致.