Related papers: Quantum-classical model for the formation of Rydbe…
This Ph.D. tutorial discusses ultra-long-range Rydberg molecules, the exotic bound states of a Rydberg atom and one or more ground state atoms immersed in the Rydberg electron's wave function. This novel chemical bond is distinct from an…
We propose a novel experimental method to extend the investigation of ion-atom collisions from the so far studied cold, essentially classical regime to the ultracold, quantum regime. Key aspect of this method is the use of Rydberg molecules…
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 consider the propagation of photons in a gas of Rydberg atoms under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency, where they form strongly interacting massive particles, termed Rydberg polaritons. Depending on the strength of…
Quantum reflection is a pure wave phenomena that predicts reflection of a particle at a changing potential for cases where complete transmission occurs classically. For a chemical bond, we find that this effect can lead to non-classical…
The generation of entanglement produced by a local potential interaction in a bipartite system is investigated. The degree of entanglement is contrasted with the underlying classical dynamics for a Rydberg molecule (a charged particle…
We review ultralong-range Rydberg molecules (ULRM), 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…
We present a comprehensive study of the diverse properties of heteronuclear Rydberg molecules, placing a special emphasis on those composed of the light alkali atoms, Li, Na, and K. Electron-atom scattering phase shifts, which determine the…
We present a novel binding mechanism where a neutral Rydberg atom and an atomic ion form a molecular bound state at large internuclear distance. The binding mechanism is based on Stark shifts and level crossings which are induced in the…
We study the impact of Rydberg molecule formation on the storage and retrieval of Rydberg polaritons in an ultracold atomic medium. We observe coherent revivals appearing in the retrieval efficiency of stored photons that originate from…
Optically trapped Rydberg atoms are a suitable platform to explore quantum many-body physics mediated by long-range atom--atom interactions that can be engineered through externally applied light fields. However, this approach is limited to…
We report on our recent progress on the manipulation of single rubidium atoms trapped in optical tweezers and the generation of entanglement between two atoms, each individually trapped in neighboring tweezers. To create an entangled state…
This topical review addresses how Rydberg atoms can serve as building blocks for emerging quantum technologies. Whereas the fabrication of large numbers of artificial quantum systems with the uniformity required for the most attractive…
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…
We discuss techniques to generate long-range interactions in a gas of groundstate alkali atoms, by weakly admixing excited Rydberg states with laser light. This provides a tool to engineer strongly correlated phases with reduced decoherence…
We study the possibility to use interaction between a polar molecule in the ground electronic and vibrational state and a Rydberg atom to construct two-qubit gates between molecular qubits and to coherently control molecular states. A polar…
Controlling strongly interacting many-body systems enables the creation of tailored quantum matter, with properties transcending those based solely on single particle physics. Atomic ensembles which are optically driven to a Rydberg state…
We discuss the creation of non-classical light from collective atomic states that are prepared in a ring-shaped lattice. These states are realized by exploiting the strong interaction between atoms in high lying energy levels - so-called…
The Rydberg blockade mechanism is an important ingredient in quantum simulators based on neutral atom arrays. It enables the emergence of a rich variety of quantum phases of matter, such as topological spin liquids. The typically isotropic…
The theory is developed for one and two atom interactions when the atom has a Rydberg electron attached to a hyperfine split core state. This situation is relevant for some of the rare earth and alkaline earth atoms that have been proposed…