Atom-pair kinetics with strong electric-dipole interactions
Abstract
Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly- into a strongly-interacting regime via adiabatic transformation of the atoms from an approximately non-polar into a highly dipolar quantum state. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces are probed using a device akin to a field ion microscope. Ion imaging and pair-correlation analysis reveal the kinetics of the interacting atoms. Dumbbell-shaped pair correlation images demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipolar coefficient, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The results indicate many-body dynamics akin to disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1601.02567,
title = {Atom-pair kinetics with strong electric-dipole interactions},
author = {N. Thaicharoen and L. F. Gonçalves and G. Raithel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1601.02567},
year = {2016}
}