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arXiv:1905.08221 · Physical Review Letters

Controlling the Dipole Blockade and Ionization Rate of Rydberg Atoms in Strong Electric Fields

Markus Stecker, Raphael Nold, Lea-Marina Steinert, Jens Grimmel, David Petrosyan, József Fortágh, Andreas Günther

Published Aug 31, 2020• 13 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study a hitherto unexplored regime of the Rydberg excitation blockade using highly Stark-shifted, yet long-living, states of Rb atoms subject to electric fields above the classical ionization limit. Such states allow tuning the dipole-dipole interaction strength while their ionization rate can be changed over 2 orders of magnitude by small variations of the electric field. We demonstrate laser excitation of the interacting Rydberg states followed by their detection using controlled ionization and magnified imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. Our work reveals new possibilities to engineer the interaction strength and dynamically control the ionization and detection of Rydberg atoms, which can be useful for realizing and assessing quantum simulators that vary in space and time.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.125.103602

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Spatial and temporal correlations in cold Rydberg gases

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Rydberg atoms, i.e. atoms with one or more highly excited electrons, show exaggerated properties compared to ground state atoms. For example, their energy levels are very sensitive to external electric fields (Stark effect) and they exhibit strong interatomic interactions, which can lead to a suppression of excitation known as the Rydberg blockade. The latter property makes Rydberg atoms promising candidates for quantum simulation and quantum computing. This work describes the direct observation of the excitation blockade for highly Stark-shifted Rydberg atoms induced by controllable dipole-dipole interactions. We investigate the electric field region around and above the classical ionization threshold, which is typically not considered suitable for blockade experiments. We excite Rydberg atoms in the energy region corresponding to the unperturbed 43S1/2 state at electric fields around 127V/cm out of a magneto-optically trapped cloud of 87Rb atoms with a temperature of 150 μK. We tune the dipole-dipole interaction by the applied electric field thus changing the electric dipole moment of the excited state. The position of the Rydberg atoms is detected by ionization and subsequent ion imaging; the controlled ionization of the atoms is achieved by adiabatic transfer of the Rydberg state to an ionizing state. For the spatially resolved detection of the atoms, a high resolution ion microscope for cold atoms has been developed and experimentally characterized. It features a maximum magnification of 1000 and sub-micrometer spatial resolution. A theoretical treatment of highly Stark-shifted Rydberg states is developed introducing a complex absorbing potential. It is capable of predicting the ionization rates of the Rydberg states for a wide range of electric fields and energies with only one free parameter. Together with the numerical calculations, measurements of the ionization spectra for different Rydberg states are presented. The 43S1/2 state is measured in an electric-field range from 125V/cm to 165V/cm (classical ionization limit 127V/cm), the 70S1/2 state in an electric-field range from 15V/cm to 35V/cm (classical ionization limit 16.1V/cm) and the 100S1/2 state in an electric-field range from 7V/cm to 19V/cm (classical ionization limit 3.7V/cm). Our results show an intricate energy level structure with broad, strongly ionizing states as well as sharp, nearly non-ionizing states. The numerical calculations are also used for the prediction of selective field ionization spectra and the results are used to identify Förster resonances in the Stark spectrum of the 45D5/2 state. Complementary to the spatially resolved measurements in high electric fields, the Rydberg blockade effect is also observed via the excitation number statistics at Förster resonances.

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Long-range interactions between cold Rydberg atoms are being investigated for neutral-atom quantum computing, quantum simulations, phase transitions in cold Rydberg gases and other applications. Fine tuning of the interaction strength can be implemented using Förster resonances between Rydberg atoms controlled by an electric field. The observation of the Stark-tuned Förster resonances between Rydberg atoms excited by narrowband cw laser radiation requires usage of a Stark-switching technique in order to excite the atoms first in a fixed electric field and then to induce the interactions in a varied electric field, which is scanned across the Förster resonance. The application of the radio-frequency field causes additional Förster resonances between collective states, whose line shape depends on the interaction strengths and time. Spatial averaging over the atom positions in a single interaction volume yields a cusped line shape of the Förster resonance. We present a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the line shape and time dynamics of the Stark-tuned Förster resonances Rb( nP 3/2 ) + Rb( nP 3/2 ) → Rb( nS 1/2 ) + Rb([ n + 1] S 1/2 ) for two Rb Rydberg atoms interacting in a time-varying electric field.

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Summary form only given. Interactions between neutral atoms are generally weak, but exciting these atoms in a Rydberg state considerably enhances their interaction through a long-range dipole-dipole potential. An interesting application of this dipole-dipole interaction is the dipole blockade in Rydberg excitation. This effect offers exciting possibilities for manipulating quantum bits stored in a single collective excitations in mesoscopic ensembles, or for realizing scalable quantum logic gate. The dipole blockade effect has been demonstrated in atomic ensembles by different groups, and recently also with two independently trapped atoms, which shows the possibility of creating entangle states and quantum logic gates. To extend and continue these results with more atoms, a promising method is to use atoms trapped in an optical lattice in the Mott insulator phase. To excite atoms into a Rydberg state, and to control the interactions and the dipole blockade, a high resolution laser scheme is needed. We use a two-photon excitation scheme 5s1/2rarr 6p3/2rarr ns or nd. The first step, at 420 nm, is realized by doubling a MOPA laser, with the second step at ~ 1000 nm. Both lasers are locked to a Fabry-Perot cavity, and the total excitation bandwidth is less than 3 MHz. After the excitation into the Rydberg state, we apply a pulsed electric field to ionize and detect the Rydberg atoms with an ion detector. To characterize and improve the efficiency of our ion detection, we have explored the direct ionization of ultracold atoms in a magneto-optical trap, or in a Bose-Einstein condensate. This calibration will allows us to characterize precisely the Rydberg excitation and to monitor its time evolution. First results on the Rydberg excitation of ultracold atoms in dipole traps and optical lattices will be presented. The prospect for creating Rydberg excitations inside a Mott insulator will also be discussed.

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Luís F. Gonçalves, Luís Gustavo Marcassa

Rydberg atoms possess a strong atom-atom interaction, which limits its density in an atomic sample. Such effect is known as a Rydberg-atom blockade. Here, we present a way to control such effect by directly orienting the induced atomic dipole moment using a dc external electrical field. To demonstrate it, we excite the $50{S}_{1/2}$ Rb atomic state in a quasiunidimensional sample held in a quasielectrostatic trap. A pure $nS$ state holds only van der Waals interaction at long range, but in the presence of an external electric field the state mixing leads to strong dipole-dipole interactions. We have measured the Rydberg-atom population as a function of ground-state atoms density for several angles between the electric field and the main axis of the unidimensional sample. The results indicate that the limit on the final Rydberg density can be controlled by electric-field orientation. Besides, we have characterized the sample by using a single-atom ion imaging technique, demonstrating that it does behave as a unidimensional sample.

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•Jun 9, 2017•0 citations
We study a hitherto unexplored regime of the Rydberg excitation blockade using highly Stark-shifted, yet long-living, states of Rb atoms subject to electric fields above the classical ionization limit. Such states allow tuning the dipole-dipole interaction strength while their ionization rate can be changed over 2 orders of magnitude by small variations of the electric field. We demonstrate laser excitation of the interacting Rydberg states followed by their detection using controlled ionization and magnified imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. Our work reveals new possibilities to engineer the interaction strength and dynamically control the ionization and detection of Rydberg atoms, which can be useful for realizing and assessing quantum simulators that vary in space and time.
Rydberg atoms, i.e. atoms with one or more highly excited electrons, show exaggerated properties compared to ground state atoms. For example, their energy levels are very sensitive to external electric fields (Stark effect) and they exhibit strong interatomic interactions, which can lead to a suppression of excitation known as the Rydberg blockade. The latter property makes Rydberg atoms promising candidates for quantum simulation and quantum computing. This work describes the direct observation of the excitation blockade for highly Stark-shifted Rydberg atoms induced by controllable dipole-dipole interactions. We investigate the electric field region around and above the classical ionization threshold, which is typically not considered suitable for blockade experiments. We excite Rydberg atoms in the energy region corresponding to the unperturbed 43S1/2 state at electric fields around 127V/cm out of a magneto-optically trapped cloud of 87Rb atoms with a temperature of 150 μK. We tune the dipole-dipole interaction by the applied electric field thus changing the electric dipole moment of the excited state. The position of the Rydberg atoms is detected by ionization and subsequent ion imaging; the controlled ionization of the atoms is achieved by adiabatic transfer of the Rydberg state to an ionizing state. For the spatially resolved detection of the atoms, a high resolution ion microscope for cold atoms has been developed and experimentally characterized. It features a maximum magnification of 1000 and sub-micrometer spatial resolution. A theoretical treatment of highly Stark-shifted Rydberg states is developed introducing a complex absorbing potential. It is capable of predicting the ionization rates of the Rydberg states for a wide range of electric fields and energies with only one free parameter. Together with the numerical calculations, measurements of the ionization spectra for different Rydberg states are presented. The 43S1/2 state is measured in an electric-field range from 125V/cm to 165V/cm (classical ionization limit 127V/cm), the 70S1/2 state in an electric-field range from 15V/cm to 35V/cm (classical ionization limit 16.1V/cm) and the 100S1/2 state in an electric-field range from 7V/cm to 19V/cm (classical ionization limit 3.7V/cm). Our results show an intricate energy level structure with broad, strongly ionizing states as well as sharp, nearly non-ionizing states. The numerical calculations are also used for the prediction of selective field ionization spectra and the results are used to identify Förster resonances in the Stark spectrum of the 45D5/2 state. Complementary to the spatially resolved measurements in high electric fields, the Rydberg blockade effect is also observed via the excitation number statistics at Förster resonances.
We demonstrated a tuned dipole interaction between Rydberg atoms by employing a controllable electric field in a cold cesium ensemble. The | n P 3/2 ⟩ ( n = 38–40) Rydberg pairs are prepared with a three-photon scheme and detected via the state-selective field ionization technique. A weak DC electric field is used to tune the Rydberg pair interaction from the van der Waals interaction regime to the dipole–dipole interaction regime. The Förster resonant interaction and an adiabatic resonance energy transfer between the n P and n S Rydberg states are attained by precisely tuning the electric field. Rydberg excitation blockade with and without the electric field is investigated by changing the excitation pulse duration, which demonstrates that the dipole interaction–induced blockade effect is stronger than the van der Waals interaction–induced blockade effect. The precise control of the Rydberg interaction is of great significance to the coherent interaction in many-body systems and non-radiative collision processes.
Long-range interactions between cold Rydberg atoms are being investigated for neutral-atom quantum computing, quantum simulations, phase transitions in cold Rydberg gases and other applications. Fine tuning of the interaction strength can be implemented using Förster resonances between Rydberg atoms controlled by an electric field. The observation of the Stark-tuned Förster resonances between Rydberg atoms excited by narrowband cw laser radiation requires usage of a Stark-switching technique in order to excite the atoms first in a fixed electric field and then to induce the interactions in a varied electric field, which is scanned across the Förster resonance. The application of the radio-frequency field causes additional Förster resonances between collective states, whose line shape depends on the interaction strengths and time. Spatial averaging over the atom positions in a single interaction volume yields a cusped line shape of the Förster resonance. We present a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the line shape and time dynamics of the Stark-tuned Förster resonances Rb( nP 3/2 ) + Rb( nP 3/2 ) → Rb( nS 1/2 ) + Rb([ n + 1] S 1/2 ) for two Rb Rydberg atoms interacting in a time-varying electric field.
High resolution laser Stark excitation of np (60<n<85) Rydberg states of ultracold cesium atoms shows an efficient blockade of the excitation attributed to long-range dipole-dipole interaction. The dipole blockade effect is observed as a quenching of the Rydberg excitation depending on the value of the dipole moment induced by the external electric field. Effects of ions which could match the dipole blockade effect are discussed in detail but are ruled out for our experimental conditions. Analytic and Monte Carlo simulations of the excitation of an ensemble of interacting Rydberg atoms agree with the experiments and indicate a major role of the nearest neighboring Rydberg atom.
Summary form only given. Interactions between neutral atoms are generally weak, but exciting these atoms in a Rydberg state considerably enhances their interaction through a long-range dipole-dipole potential. An interesting application of this dipole-dipole interaction is the dipole blockade in Rydberg excitation. This effect offers exciting possibilities for manipulating quantum bits stored in a single collective excitations in mesoscopic ensembles, or for realizing scalable quantum logic gate. The dipole blockade effect has been demonstrated in atomic ensembles by different groups, and recently also with two independently trapped atoms, which shows the possibility of creating entangle states and quantum logic gates. To extend and continue these results with more atoms, a promising method is to use atoms trapped in an optical lattice in the Mott insulator phase. To excite atoms into a Rydberg state, and to control the interactions and the dipole blockade, a high resolution laser scheme is needed. We use a two-photon excitation scheme 5s1/2rarr 6p3/2rarr ns or nd. The first step, at 420 nm, is realized by doubling a MOPA laser, with the second step at ~ 1000 nm. Both lasers are locked to a Fabry-Perot cavity, and the total excitation bandwidth is less than 3 MHz. After the excitation into the Rydberg state, we apply a pulsed electric field to ionize and detect the Rydberg atoms with an ion detector. To characterize and improve the efficiency of our ion detection, we have explored the direct ionization of ultracold atoms in a magneto-optical trap, or in a Bose-Einstein condensate. This calibration will allows us to characterize precisely the Rydberg excitation and to monitor its time evolution. First results on the Rydberg excitation of ultracold atoms in dipole traps and optical lattices will be presented. The prospect for creating Rydberg excitations inside a Mott insulator will also be discussed.
Rydberg atoms possess a strong atom-atom interaction, which limits its density in an atomic sample. Such effect is known as a Rydberg-atom blockade. Here, we present a way to control such effect by directly orienting the induced atomic dipole moment using a dc external electrical field. To demonstrate it, we excite the 50S1/250{S}_{1/2}50S1/2​ Rb atomic state in a quasiunidimensional sample held in a quasielectrostatic trap. A pure nSnSnS state holds only van der Waals interaction at long range, but in the presence of an external electric field the state mixing leads to strong dipole-dipole interactions. We have measured the Rydberg-atom population as a function of ground-state atoms density for several angles between the electric field and the main axis of the unidimensional sample. The results indicate that the limit on the final Rydberg density can be controlled by electric-field orientation. Besides, we have characterized the sample by using a single-atom ion imaging technique, demonstrating that it does behave as a unidimensional sample.