arXiv:1203.1851
Förster interaction induced phase shift in a pair state interferometer
J. Nipper, Jonathan Balewski, Alexander Krupp, Sebastian Hofferberth, R. Löw, Tilman Pfau
Abstract
We present experiments measuring an interaction induced phase shift of Rydberg atoms at Stark tuned Förster resonances. The phase shift features a dispersive shape around the resonance, showing that the interaction strength and sign can be tuned coherently. We use a pair state interferometer to measure the phase shift. Although the coupling between pair states is coherent on the time scale of the experiment, a loss of visibility occurs as a pair state interferometer involves three simultaneously interfering paths and only one of them is phase shifted by the mutual interaction. Despite additional dephasing mechanisms a pulsed Förster coupling sequence allows to observe coherent dynamics around the Förster resonance.