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arXiv:1507.05675 · Physical Review A

Measurement of Rb 5P3/2 scalar and tensor polarizabilities in a 1064-nm light field

Yun Jhih Chen, Luís F. Gonçalves, Georg A. Raithel

Published Dec 9, 2015• 11 citations
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Abstract

We employ doubly resonant two-photon excitation into the $74S$ Rydberg state to spectroscopically measure the dynamic scalar polarizability, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$, and tensor polarizability, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$, of rubidium $5{P}_{3/2}$. A cavity-generated 1064-nm optical lattice allows us to reach intensities near $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$, where the atom field is larger than the hyperfine interaction, and magnetic sublevels are well resolved. In the evaluation of the data we use a self-referencing method that renders the polarizability measurement largely free from the intensity calibration of the laser light field. We obtain experimental values ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}=\ensuremath{-}1149(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.5%)$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}=563(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.2%)$, in atomic units. Methods and results are supported by simulations. The results provide an experimental test of atomic-structure calculations used to determine systematic shifts in atomic clocks and to interpret fundamental-physics experiments.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.92.060501

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Rydberg Molecules and Excitation of Lattice-Mixed Rydberg States in a Deep Ponderomotive Optical Lattice

Jamie MacLennan

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 5$D_{3/2}$-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.

•Jan 1, 2021•1 citation
We employ doubly resonant two-photon excitation into the 74S74S74S Rydberg state to spectroscopically measure the dynamic scalar polarizability, \ensuremathα0{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}\ensuremathα0​, and tensor polarizability, \ensuremathα2{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}\ensuremathα2​, of rubidium 5P3/25{P}_{3/2}5P3/2​. A cavity-generated 1064-nm optical lattice allows us to reach intensities near 2\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1011W/m22\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}2\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1011W/m2, where the atom field is larger than the hyperfine interaction, and magnetic sublevels are well resolved. In the evaluation of the data we use a self-referencing method that renders the polarizability measurement largely free from the intensity calibration of the laser light field. We obtain experimental values \ensuremathα0=\ensuremath−1149(\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi2.5{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}=\ensuremath{-}1149(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.5%)\ensuremathα0​=\ensuremath−1149(\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi2.5 and \ensuremathα2=563(\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi4.2{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}=563(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.2%)\ensuremathα2​=563(\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi4.2, in atomic units. Methods and results are supported by simulations. The results provide an experimental test of atomic-structure calculations used to determine systematic shifts in atomic clocks and to interpret fundamental-physics experiments.
We use double-resonant two-photon laser spectroscopy to measure the dynamic scalar polarizability of the rubidium 5D3/25{D}_{3/2}5D3/2​ level, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{5{D}_{3/2}}^{S}$, at a wavelength of $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1064$ nm. Since $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is shorter than the photoionization (PI) limit of the Rb 5D3/25{D}_{3/2}5D3/2​ level, this state undergoes significant broadening due to PI. The 1064-nm field is applied in the form of a deep optical lattice ($\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{5}$ photon recoils) generated by an in-vacuum field-enhancement cavity. In our spectroscopic method, we use known dynamic polarizabilities to eliminate the need to measure the light intensity. Our method yields, in atomic units, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{5{D}_{3/2}}^{S}=\ensuremath{-}524(17)$, in agreement with estimates. Additionally, we extract the 5D3/25{D}_{3/2}5D3/2​ photoionization cross section $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ at 1064 nm from spectral linewidths; we find $\ensuremath{\sigma}=44(1)$ Mb.
We report a measurement of the dynamic (ac) scalar polarizability of the 5D3/2 state in 85Rb atoms at a laser wavelength of 1064 nm. Contrary to a recent measurement in Phys. Rev. A 104, 063304 (2021), the experiments are performed in a low-intensity regime in which the ac shift is less than the 5D3/2 state’s hyperfine structure, as utilized in numerous experiments with cold, trapped atoms. The extracted ac polarizability is α5D3/2=−499±59 a.u., within the uncertainty of the aforementioned previous result. The calibration of the 1064 nm light intensity, performed by analyzing light shifts of the D1 line, is the main source of uncertainty. Our results are useful for applications of the Rb 5D3/2 state in metrology, quantum sensing, and fundamental-physics research on Rydberg atoms and molecules.
The interaction between light and an atom causes perturbations in the atom's energy levels, known as the light shift. These light shifts are a key source of inaccuracy in atomic clocks, and can also deteriorate their precision. We present a study of light shifts and associated dynamic polarizabilities for a two-photon atomic clock based on the 5S1/25{S}_{1/2}5S1/2​--5D5/25{D}_{5/2}5D5/2​ transition in rubidium-87 over the range 770--800 nm. We determine experimental and theoretical values for a magic wavelength in this range and the electric dipole (E1) matrix element for the 5P3/25{P}_{3/2}5P3/2​--5D5/25{D}_{5/2}5D5/2​ transition. We find a magic wavelength of 776.179(5) nm (experimental) and 776.21 nm (theoretical) in the vicinity of the 5P3/25{P}_{3/2}5P3/2​--5D5/25{D}_{5/2}5D5/2​ resonance, and the corresponding reduced E1 matrix element 1.80(6)ea01.80(6)e{a}_{0}1.80(6)ea0​ (experimental) and 1.96(15)ea01.96(15)e{a}_{0}1.96(15)ea0​ (theoretical). These values resolve a previous discrepancy between theory and experiment.
We present the derivation of the frequency-dependent scalar, vector, and tensor dynamical polarizabilities for the two hyperfine levels of the 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atom 5s5s5s ground state. Based on the characterization of the dynamical polarizabilities, we analyze and measure the differential vector and tensor light shift between the 5s5s5s ground-state sublevels with near-resonant, stimulated Raman transitions. These results clarify that the tensor polarizabilities for the ground states of alkali atoms are absent when the light field is far detuned from the atomic resonance and the total electronic angular momentum JJJ is a good quantum number. In the near-resonant case, the light shifts are nontrivial and the determination of the frequency-dependent vector and tensor dynamic polarizabilities will help to achieve higher fidelities for applications of neutral atoms in quantum information and precision measurements.
The 5S1/2→6P3/25S_{1/2} \rightarrow 6P_{3/2}5S1/2​→6P3/2​ transition of rubidium at 420420420 nm is a promising candidate for a portable warm-vapor all-optical atomic clock. Despite recent precision spectroscopy studies at 420420420 nm in Rb, an experimental determination of the saturation intensity of this transition has not yet been reported. The saturation intensity is a fundamental parameter that influences the identification of a potential clock transition frequency in terms of optimizing various intensity-dependent parameters and connected systematics. In this work, we report the first experimental measurement of the saturation intensity of the 420420420 nm transition in Rb, obtaining (23.18±0.28)(23.18 \pm 0.28)(23.18±0.28) mW/cm2^22 for the 87^{87}87Rb F=2→F′=3F = 2 \rightarrow F' = 3F=2→F′=3 transition and (25.56±0.37)(25.56 \pm 0.37)(25.56±0.37) mW/cm2^22 for the 85^{85}85Rb F=3→F′=4F = 3 \rightarrow F' = 4F=3→F′=4 transition, in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. We further investigate the temperature dependence of the Doppler-free Lamb-dip amplitude and linewidth over 59.03 ± 0.3759.03~\pm~0.3759.03 ± 0.37 - 91.20 ± 0.90∘91.20~\pm~0.90^\circ91.20 ± 0.90∘C in a 100100100 mm commercial vapor cell, identifying around 82.02 ± 0.73∘82.02~\pm~ 0.73^\circ82.02 ± 0.73∘C as the optimal operating temperature, where the signal-to-noise ratio of the Lamb-dip amplitude with temperature reaches a maximum and the observed Lamb-dip linewidth exhibits a minimum. We also present precise measurements of the magnetic-dipole (AAA) and electric-quadrupole (BBB) hyperfine constants of the 6P3/26P_{3/2}6P3/2​ state for both isotopes, with the measured values being consistent with previously reported values for the hyperfine constants.
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.