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arXiv:1011.0837 · New Journal of Physics

ac-Stark shift and photoionization of Rydberg atoms in an optical dipole trap

Frank Markert, P Würtz, Andreas Koglbauer, Tatjana Gericke, Andreas Vogler, Herwig Ott

Published Nov 2, 2010• 12 citations
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Abstract

We have measured the ac-Stark shift of the 14 D 5/2 Rydberg state of rubidium 87 in an optical dipole trap formed by a focused CO 2 laser. We found good quantitative agreement of the result with the model of a free electron experiencing a ponderomotive potential in the light field. In order to reproduce the observed spectra, we take into account the broadening of the Rydberg state due to photoionization. The extracted cross section is compatible with previous measurements on neighboring Rydberg states.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/12/11/113003

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We have measured the ac-Stark shift of the 14 D 5/2 Rydberg state of rubidium 87 in an optical dipole trap formed by a focused CO 2 laser. We found good quantitative agreement of the result with the model of a free electron experiencing a ponderomotive potential in the light field. In order to reproduce the observed spectra, we take into account the broadening of the Rydberg state due to photoionization. The extracted cross section is compatible with previous measurements on neighboring Rydberg states.
In this work, we study the role of the ac Stark effects on the excitation of nS1/2 cold Rydberg atoms produced in a rubidium magneto-optical trap. We have observed an atomic population in the nP3/2 state after excitation of nS1/2 for 29<or=n<or=37. Such an observation is normally attributed to binary collisions; however, the interaction between Rb nS1/2 atoms is repulsive. To explain our results, the dipole-dipole interaction and ac Stark shifts from the excitation laser must be considered. We find that the Rydberg-atom-pair state asymptotically correlating to nP3/2+(n-1)P3/2 is excited directly.
We report on the observation and numerical calculation of ionization spectra of highly Stark-shifted Rydberg states of rubidium beyond the classical ionization threshold. In the numerical calculations, a complex absorbing potential (CAP) allows us to predict the energy levels and ionization rates of Rydberg states in this regime. Our approach of adjusting the CAP to the external electric field reduces the number of free parameters from one per resonance to a single one. Furthermore, we have measured the ionization spectra of magneto-optically trapped rubidium atoms which are excited to principal quantum numbers of 43 and 70 at various electric fields. The emerging ions are detected using an ion optics. We find good agreement between the numerically and experimentally obtained spectra.
Ultracold Rydberg atoms in a static electric field can exchange energy via the dipole-dipole interaction. The Stark effect shifts the energy levels of the atoms which tunes the energy exchange into resonance at specific values of the electric field (F\"orster resonances). We excite rubidium atoms to Rydberg states by focusing either a 480 nm beam from a tunable dye laser or a pair of diode lasers into a magneto-optical trap. The trap lies at the center of a configuration of electrodes. We scan the electric field by controlling the voltage on the electrodes while measuring the fraction of atoms that interact. Dipole-dipole interaction spectra are presented for initially excited rubidium ndndnd states for n=31n=31n=31 to 46 and for four different pairs of initially excited rubidium nsnsns states. We also present the dipole-dipole interaction spectra for individual rubidium 32ddd (j,mj)(j,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{m}_{j})(j,mj​) fine structure levels that have been selectively excited. The data are compared to calculated spectra.
The energy shift of an atom due to its interaction with the oscillating electric field of an electromagnetic wave, or a laser light, is called the ac Stark shift. It has been studied both in the field of precision spectroscopy and atom optics. When the laser intensity is not constant spatially, its gradient gives rise to a dipole force. The force was used either to trap atoms in an optical trap or to reflect or guide atoms. We studied the ac Stark effect taking into account the fine structure of an alkali atom. We found that when the laser light is circularly polarized and properly detuned between the D1 and D2 transitions, the ac Stark shift can take the form of a pure Zeeman shift, hence the name analogous Zeeman shift.
Abstract In this work, the effect of AC-Stark shift of atomic energy levels in an optical dipole trap (ODT) on in situ absorption imaging of the trapped atoms has been investigated. The Stark shift of various energy levels of 87 Rb atoms relevant for trapping in the optical dipole trap (ODT) has been calculated. The spatially varying AC-Stark shift of energy levels due to ODT beam results in position dependent absorption cross-section of the atom at the absorption probe laser wavelength, which significantly modifies the measured optical density (OD) of the trapped atom cloud during the in situ absorption imaging. We have estimated the number of atoms trapped in the ODT taking AC-Stark shift into account. The estimated numbers are found to be higher at higher ODT beam power, making a qualitative agreement with larger trap depth at higher ODT beam power. This work can be particularly useful in estimating the in situ loss rate of atoms from the trap during the evaporative cooling of the trapped atom cloud.
In this dissertation, I explore several aspects of Rydberg physics with laser spectroscopy. The experiments center around the use of a very deep, cavity-generated, one-dimensional optical lattice in a cold atom sample. The optical lattice produces elongated clouds of dense, cold atoms via dipole trapping and is able to generate extreme light shifts in the atoms due to its high intensity. I describe experiments which may be divided into two main classes. In the first, I use the dipole trap to prepare a dense sample of atoms for photoassociation of Rb atom pairs into diatomic Rydberg molecules. The Rydberg molecules are formed by low-energy scattering of the Rydberg electron of one atom from the other atom, which is a ground-state atom. This novel binding mechanism also has relevance for chemical physics. I present binding energy measurements for eight different cases of Rydberg molecules. The binding energies reveal information about electron-atom collisions, such as their scattering lengths, and about the spin couplings present within the molecular system. In the second class of experiments, I introduce two proposed measurements in which the optical lattice is ramped to very high intensity during the laser excitation, creating AC Stark shifts in the transition frequencies. In one measurement, low-lying atomic states are probed. Measurements of the light shifts are expected to yield data on the dynamic polarizability and the photoionization cross section of the 5D3/2D_{3/2}D3/2​-state in rubidium in a 1064-nm light field. I show corresponding preliminary experimental data. The polarizability and photo-ionization cross-section measurements will provide tests of atomic structure theory, which is important both at a fundamental level and for applications such as atomic clocks. In another proposed measurement, Rydberg atoms in the lattice experience ponderomotive shifts and strong mixing of their angular-momentum states, allowing direct optical excitation of the lattice-mixed high-angular-momentum states. I describe the theoretical basis and experimental preparation for spectroscopically characterizing the lattice-mixed states. The ability to optically excite selected high-angular-momentum states without the use of static or RF fields may be useful for quantum information processing and simulation.