An experimental and theoretical guide to strongly interacting Rydberg gases
Robert Löw, Hendrik Weimer, Johannes Nipper +4 more
We review experimental and theoretical tools to excite, study and understand strongly interacting Rydberg gases. The focus lies on the excitation of dense ultracold atomic samples close to, or within quantum degeneracy, high-lying Rydberg states. The major part is dedicated to highly excited S-states of rubidium, which feature an isotropic van der Waals potential. Nevertheless, the setup and the methods presented are also applicable to other atomic species used in the field of laser cooling and atom trapping.
arXiv:1202.2871•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•May 22, 2012•289 citations