Related papers: Novel binding mechanism for ultra-long range molec…
Divalent atoms have emerged as powerful alternatives to alkalis in ultracold atom platforms, offering unique advantages arising from their two-electron structure. Among these species, ytterbium (Yb) is especially promising, yet its anionic…
Trilobites are exotic giant dimers with enormous dipole moments. They consist of a Rydberg atom and a distant ground-state atom bound together by short-range electron-neutral attraction. We show that highly polar, polyatomic trilobite…
We have studied electron-induced ion-pair dissociation dynamics of CO using the state-of-art velocity map imaging technique in combination with a time-of-flight-based two-field mass spectrometer. Extracting the characteristics for O$^-$/CO…
We report here on the production of an ultracold gas of tightly bound Rb2 molecules in the ro-vibrational triplet ground state, close to quantum degeneracy. This is achieved by optically transferring weakly bound Rb2 molecules to the…
We predict the existence of a class of ultracold giant molecules formed from trapped ultracold Rydberg atoms and polar molecules. The interaction which leads to the formation of such molecules is the anisotropic charge-dipole interaction…
The coupling of an isolated quantum state to a continuum is typically associated with decoherence and decreased lifetime. Here, we demonstrate that Rydberg macrodimers, weakly bound pairs of Rydberg atoms, can overcome this dissipative…
We present an overview of our recent investigations of long-range interactions in an ultracold Cs Rydberg gas. These interactions are studied by high-resolution photoassociation spectroscopy, using excitation close to one-photon transitions…
We predict that ultralong-range Rydberg bi-molecules form in collisions between polar molecules in cold and ultracold settings. The collision of $\Lambda$-doublet nitric oxide (NO) with long-lived Rydberg NO($nf$, $ng$) molecules forms…
We explore the external electric field control of a species of ultralong-range molecules that emerge from the interaction of a ground state polar molecule with a Rydberg atom. The external field mixes the Rydberg electronic states and…
We investigate the fine and spin structure of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules exposed to a homogeneous magnetic field. Each molecule consists of a $^{87}$Rb Rydberg atom whose outer electron interacts via spin-dependent $s$- and p-wave…
The lifetimes of the lower-lying vibrational states of ultralong-range strontium Rydberg molecules comprising one ground-state 5s2 1S0 atom and one Rydberg atom in the 5s38s 3S1 state are reported. The molecules are created in an ultracold…
Vibrational properties of ultralong Rydberg Cs$_2$ molecules are investigated on corresponding potential curves obtained by perturbation theory. The Rydberg Cs$_2$ molecules are associated by a Rydberg Cs($nS/nP$) atom $(n=30-70)$ and a…
Stability achieved by large angular momentum is ubiquitous in nature, with examples ranging from classical mechanics, over optics and chemistry, to nuclear physics. In atoms, angular momentum can protect excited electronic orbitals from…
The exceptionally large polarisability of highly excited Rydberg atoms (six orders of magnitude higher than ground-state atoms) makes them of great interest in fields such as quantum optics, quantum computing, quantum simulation and…
We have experimentally demonstrated both heating and cooling of electrons in an ultracold neutral plasma (UNP) by embedding Rydberg atoms into the plasma soon after its creation. We have determined the relationship between the initial…
Long-range metastable molecules consisting of two cesium atoms in high Rydberg states have been observed in an ultracold gas. A sequential three-photon two-color photoassociation scheme was employed to form these molecules in states which…
We investigate the electronic structure of a triatomic Rydberg molecule formed by a Rydberg atom and two neutral ground-state atoms. Taking into account the $s$-wave and $p$-wave interactions we perform electronic structure calculations and…
Recent developments in the study of ultracold Rydberg gases demand an advanced level of experimental sophistication, in which high atomic and optical densities must be combined with excellent control of external fields and sensitive Rydberg…
Photoassociation of two ultracold rubidium atoms and the subsequent formation of stable molecules in the singlet ground and lowest triplet states is investigated theoretically. The method employs laser pulses inducing transitions via…
We demonstrate Rydberg blockade due to the charge-dipole interaction between a single Rb atom and a single RbCs molecule confined in optical tweezers. The molecule is formed by magnetoassociation of a Rb+Cs atom pair and subsequently…