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arXiv:1711.03289 · Physical Review A

Trapping of Rydberg atoms in tight magnetic microtraps

A. G. Boetes, Rasmus Vestergaard Skannrup, Julian B. Naber, S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans, R. J. C. Spreeuw

Published Jan 31, 2018• 11 citations
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Abstract

We explore the possibility to trap Rydberg atoms in tightly confining magnetic microtraps. The trapping frequencies for Rydberg atoms are expected to be influenced strongly by magnetic-field gradients. We show that there are regimes where Rydberg atoms can be trapped. Moreover, we show that so-called magic trapping conditions can be found for certain states of rubidium, where both Rydberg atoms and ground-state atoms have the same trapping frequencies. Magic trapping is highly beneficial for implementing quantum gate operations that require long operation times.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.97.013430

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We explore the possibility to trap Rydberg atoms in tightly confining magnetic microtraps. The trapping frequencies for Rydberg atoms are expected to be influenced strongly by magnetic-field gradients. We show that there are regimes where Rydberg atoms can be trapped. Moreover, we show that so-called magic trapping conditions can be found for certain states of rubidium, where both Rydberg atoms and ground-state atoms have the same trapping frequencies. Magic trapping is highly beneficial for implementing quantum gate operations that require long operation times.
Magnetic trapping is a well-established technique for ground state atoms. We seek to extend this concept to Rydberg atoms. Rydberg atoms are important for current visions of quantum simulators that will be used in the near future to simulate and analyse quantum problems. Current efforts in Amsterdam rely on Rydberg atoms to be excited from a BEC in magnetic microtraps and to stay trapped after excitation. Rydberg atoms are atoms excited to high electronic states, with a spatial size comparable to the size of magnetic microtraps. The question is then whether Rydberg atoms are trappable in magnetic traps so tight that the magnetic field varies appreciably on length scales comparable to the atomic rms radius. Our research indicates that some Rydberg atoms will indeed remain trapped and shows how the magnetic trapping potential is affected by the finite size of Rydberg atoms.
The Rydberg blockade mechanism has shown noteworthy promise for scalable quantum computation with neutral atoms. Both qubit states and gate-mediating Rydberg state belong to the same optically trapped atom. The trapping fields, while being essential, induce detrimental decoherence. Here we theoretically demonstrate that this Stark-induced decoherence may be completely removed using powerful concepts of magic optical traps. We analyze magic trapping of a prototype three-level system: a Rydberg state along with two qubit states: hyperfine states attached to a J=1/2J=1/2J=1/2 ground state. Our numerical results show that, while such a magic trap for alkali metals would require prohibitively large magnetic fields, the group IIIB metals such as Al are suitable candidates.
We report on the trapping of long-lived strongly magnetized Rydberg atoms. 85Rb atoms are laser cooled and collected in a superconducting magnetic trap with a strong bias field (2.9 T) and laser excited to Rydberg states. Collisions scatter a small fraction of the Rydberg atoms into long-lived high-angular momentum "guiding-center" Rydberg states, which are magnetically trapped. The Rydberg atomic cloud is examined using a time-delayed, position-sensitive probe. We observe magnetic trapping of these Rydberg atoms for times up to 200 ms. Oscillations of the Rydberg-atom cloud in the trap reveal an average magnetic moment of the trapped Rydberg atoms of approximately -8microB. These results provide guidance for other Rydberg-atom trapping schemes and illuminate a possible route for trapping antihydrogen.
Cold Rydberg atoms exposed to strong magnetic fields possess unique properties which open the pathway for an intriguing many-body dynamics taking place in Rydberg gases, consisting of either matter or anti-matter systems. We review both the foundations and recent developments of the field in the cold and ultracold regime where trapping and cooling of Rydberg atoms have become possible. Exotic states of moving Rydberg atoms, such as giant dipole states, are discussed in detail, including their formation mechanisms in a strongly magnetized cold plasma. Inhomogeneous field configurations influence the electronic structure of Rydberg atoms, and we describe the utility of corresponding effects for achieving tightly trapped ultracold Rydberg atoms. We review recent work on large, extended cold Rydberg gases in magnetic fields and their formation in strongly magnetized ultracold plasmas through collisional recombination. Implications of these results for current antihydrogen production experiments are pointed out, and techniques for the trapping and cooling of such atoms are investigated.
We propose blue-detuned optical traps that are suitable for trapping of both ground-state and Rydberg excited atoms. The addition of a background compensation field or a suitable choice of the trap geometry provides a magic trapping condition for ground-state and Rydberg atoms at the trap center. Deviations from the magic condition at finite temperature are calculated. Designs that achieve less than 200-kHz differential trap shift between Cs ground states and 125s125s125s Rydberg states for 10 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ Cs atoms are presented. Consideration of the trapping potential and photoionization rates suggests that these traps will be useful for quantum-information experiments with atomic qubits.
This thesis contributes to the quantum platform based on an atom chip. In our atom chip, atoms are trapped by means of a magnetic field. This magnetic field is created by a very thin layer of a permanently magnetized material, which is etched to create a periodic structure. Together with an applied homogeneous bias field this structure creates a periodic lattice of magnetic field minima. Cold atoms are trapped in these minima (so called microtraps). In our experiment we want to induce interaction between atoms in different lattice sites by exciting them into so-called Rydberg states: atomic states with a very large principal quantum number. These states have some extreme properties: very strong van der Waals interaction, polarizability, and long lifetimes. This makes Rydberg atoms promising candidates to build a quantum platform. In this thesis we investigate different challenges that one encounters on the way to a quantum platform based on an atom chip with Rydberg atoms. In chapter 2 we present our work on a spatial light modulator (SLM). In chapter 3 we present our experimental results on measuring and controlling stray electric fields on our atom chip. In chapter 4 we construct a comprehensive model, describing such mechanisms in order to describe the measured fields as well as its dynamical change. In chapter 5 we present a setup for our new Magchips Nano experiment. Finally, in chapter 6 we present our first steps, taken to bring the new Magchips Nano machine to life.