Related papers: Probing a quantum gas with single Rydberg atoms
We realize and model a Rydberg-state atom interferometer for measurement of phase and intensity of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves. A phase reference is supplied to the atoms via a modulated laser beam, enabling atomic…
We describe a method for controlling many-body states in extended ensembles of Rydberg atoms, forming crystalline structures during laser excitation of a frozen atomic gas. Specifically, we predict the existence of an excitation number…
We investigate Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of $^{85}$Rb atomic vapor in a glass cell that contains a 5-Torr neon buffer gas. At low probe power, EIT lines exhibit a positive frequency shift of about 70~MHz and a…
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…
We experimentally realize Rydberg excitations in Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium atoms loaded into quasi one-dimensional traps and in optical lattices. Our results for condensates expanded to different sizes in the one-dimensional…
Preparation of molecular quantum gas promises novel applications including quantum control of chemical reactions, precision measurements, quantum simulation and quantum information processing. Experimental preparation of colder and denser…
Comparison of precision frequency measurements to quantum electrodynamics (QED) predictions for Rydberg states of hydrogen-like ions can yield information on values of fundamental constants and test theory. With the results of a calculation…
A three-step laser excitation scheme is used to make absolute frequency measurements of highly excited nF7/2 Rydberg states in 85Rb for principal quantum numbers n=33-100. This work demonstrates the first absolute frequency measurements of…
One of the most striking features of the strong interactions between Rydberg atoms is the dipole blockade effect, which allows only a single excitation to the Rydberg state within the volume of the blockade sphere. Here we present a method…
We have observed Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of trapped atomic hydrogen, and studied it by two-photon spectroscopy of the 1S-2S transition. In these lecture notes we briefly review the history of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and…
We present an all-optical protocol for detecting population in a selected Rydberg state of alkali atoms. The detection scheme is based on the interaction of an ensemble of ultracold atoms with two laser pulses: one weak probe pulse which is…
We develop a theoretical approach for the dynamics of Rydberg excitations in ultracold gases, with a realistically large number of atoms. We rely on the reduction of the single-atom Bloch equations to rate equations, which is possible under…
Using \emph{in situ} measurements on a quasi two-dimensional, harmonically trapped $^{87}$Rb gas, we infer various equations of state for the equivalent homogeneous fluid. From the dependence of the total atom number and the central density…
We present experiments on two-photon excitation of ${\rm ^{87}}$Rb atoms to Rydberg states. For this purpose, two continuous-wave (cw)-laser systems for both 780 nm and 480 nm have been set up. These systems are optimized to a small…
We investigate the possibility of realizing supersolid quantum phases in bosonic Rydberg-excited quantum lattice gases in the presence of non-unitary processes, by simulating the dynamical evolution starting from initial preparation in…
We analyze the zero-temperature phases of an array of neutral atoms on the kagome lattice, interacting via laser excitation to atomic Rydberg states. Density-matrix renormalization group calculations reveal the presence of a wide variety of…
Rydberg states of alkali atoms are highly sensitive to electromagnetic radiation in the GHz-to-THz regime because their transitions have large electric dipole moments. Consequently, environmental blackbody radiation (BBR) can couple Rydberg…
One exciting progress in recent cold atom experiments is the development of high resolution, in situ imaging techniques for atomic quantum gases [1-3]. These new powerful tools provide detailed information on the distribution of atoms in a…
Ultracold atom gases provide model systems in which many-body quantum physics phenomena can be studied. Recent experiments on Fermi gases have realized a phase transition to a Fermi superfluid state with strong interparticle interactions.…
A velocity-selective spectroscopy technique for studying the spectra from hot Rydberg gases is presented. This method provides high-resolution measurement of the spectrum interval. Based on this method, the velocity-selective hyperfine…