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arXiv:0910.1073 · Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Radiative lifetime measurements of rubidium Rydberg states

Drew Branden, T Juhasz, Tatenda Mahlokozera, Cristian Vesa, Roy O. Wilson, M Zheng, Andrew Kortyna, Duncan Tate

Published Dec 8, 2009• 64 citations

Abstract

We have measured the radiative lifetimes of ns, np and nd Rydberg states of rubidium in the range 28 < n < 45. To enable long-lived states to be measured, our experiment uses slow-moving Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Two experimental techniques have been adopted to reduce random and systematic errors. First, a narrow-bandwidth pulsed laser is used to excite the target Rydberg state, resulting in minimal shot-to-shot variation in the initial state population. Second, we monitor the target state population as a function of time delay from the laser pulse using a short-duration, millimetre-wave pulse that is resonant with a one- or two-photon transition. We then selectively field ionize the monitor state, and detect the resulting electrons with a micro-channel plate. This signal is an accurate mirror of the target state population, and is uncontaminated by contributions from other states which are populated by black body radiation. Our results are generally consistent with other recent experimental results obtained using a less sensitive method, and are also in excellent agreement with theory.

DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/43/1/015002

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We have measured the radiative lifetimes of ns, np and nd Rydberg states of rubidium in the range 28 < n < 45. To enable long-lived states to be measured, our experiment uses slow-moving Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Two experimental techniques have been adopted to reduce random and systematic errors. First, a narrow-bandwidth pulsed laser is used to excite the target Rydberg state, resulting in minimal shot-to-shot variation in the initial state population. Second, we monitor the target state population as a function of time delay from the laser pulse using a short-duration, millimetre-wave pulse that is resonant with a one- or two-photon transition. We then selectively field ionize the monitor state, and detect the resulting electrons with a micro-channel plate. This signal is an accurate mirror of the target state population, and is uncontaminated by contributions from other states which are populated by black body radiation. Our results are generally consistent with other recent experimental results obtained using a less sensitive method, and are also in excellent agreement with theory.

Abstract In this work, we present lifetime measurements of nS states of Rb as a function of the principal quantum number (40 ≤ n ≤ 70) using a sample of cold atoms held in a magneto-optical trap, which is performed in a finite size metal vacuum chamber. The Rydberg states are excited through a two-photon transition, and detected by pulsed field ionization. Our measurements are larger than the predictions by well established theoretical model (1984 Phys. Rev. A 30 2881 and 2009 Phys. Rev. A 79 052504). We have implemented a theoretical model, which considers the vacuum chamber as a lossy Fabry–Perot cavity with a discrete spectrum, and compared with experimental results. Such comparison indicates that the blackbody radiation contribution on Rydberg state lifetime can be decreased by using a small size metal cavity, without the need of cryogenic environment. This effect may have application in experiments where longer Rydberg lifetimes are required.

We measure the total collisional cross-sections of caesium Rydberg nD ( n =37–40) states by measuring the corresponding effective decay rates versus Rydberg atoms density in a conventional magneto-optical trap using the state-selective pulse field ionization technique. The results indicate that the large collisional cross-sections mainly come from the contribution of Rydberg atoms interactions. We also obtain the spontaneous radiative lifetimes of different Rydberg states by fitting experimental data, which are in agreement with the existing theoretical values within experimental error.

We measure the nS and nD (n = 30–40) state lifetimes of caesium Rydberg atoms in a conventional magneto-optical trap using the field ionization technique, which is consistent with the existing theoretical model through suppressing collisions and super-radiance effects. We also investigate variation of the lifetimes with densities of Rydberg atoms by changing the pulse energy of the dye laser. The results indicate that collisions and super-radiance effects have a large influence on the accuracy of lifetime measurement at high densities of Rydberg atoms.

We have studied the decay of Rydberg excitations in a cold Rb gas. A 10 ns, pulsed-dye-amplified diode laser excites Rb atoms at $70\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ in a magneto-optical trap to

ns

or

np

Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers $26\ensuremath{\le}n\ensuremath{\le}40$. Time-delayed state-selective field ionization is used to directly monitor the population in the initial and neighboring Rydberg levels. The measured time dependence of the Rydberg population is well described by numerical simulations which consider only spontaneous emission and population transfer by blackbody radiation. No evidence for collective decay is found at atom densities up to $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. This result is in contrast to a previous study [Wang et al., Phys. Rev. A 75, 033802 (2007)], in which superradiant decay was theoretically predicted and experimentally inferred for atom density and laser focal volume conditions very similar to those considered here. Suppression of collective emission is likely due to variations in transition energies within the atom sample, dominated by inhomogeneities in dipole-dipole exchange interactions for initial

s

states, or by a combination of dipole-dipole and electric field inhomogeneities for the initial

p

states.

In this paper, I review some recent high-precision Rydberg state lifetime measurements using a cold-trapped sample of neutral atoms held in a magneto-optical trap. The measurements were performed in rubidium for the S, P and D states varying the principal quantum number from n =26 to 45 using the field ionization technique. The experimental results were compared with quantum mechanical calculations and good agreement was observed. This is an important demonstration of how cold atomic samples can be used to perform high-precision spectroscopy in the time domain.

We demonstrate a hybrid method based on field ionization and state-selective deexcitation capable of measuring the lifetimes of high-lying Rydberg levels. For

nS

Rydberg states of Rb atoms with principal quantum number $60\ensuremath{\le}n\ensuremath{\le}88$, we measure both the lifetimes of single target states and those of the ensembles of Rydberg states populated via blackbody-radiation-induced transitions. We find good overall agreement with numerical calculations of the expected lifetimes in both cases. However, for the target-state lifetimes, we find a local deviation towards shorter lifetimes for states around

n=72

, which we interpret as a signature of a modified blackbody spectrum in the finite volume in which our experiments take place.