Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Efficient three-photon excitation of quasi-one-dimensional strontium Rydberg atoms with n∼300

S. Ye, X. Zhang, F. B. Dunning, S. Yoshida, Moritz Hiller, Joachim Burgdörfer

Published Jul 1, 2014• 15 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The efficient production of very-high-$n$, $n\ensuremath{\sim}300$, quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) strontium Rydberg atoms through three-photon excitation of extreme Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field is demonstrated using a crossed laser-atom beam geometry. Strongly polarized quasi-1D states with large permanent dipole moments $\ensuremath{\sim}1.2{n}^{2}$ a.u. can be created in the beam at densities ($\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{6}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$) where dipole blockade effects should become important. A further advantage of three-photon excitation is that the product $F$ states are sensitive to the presence of external fields, allowing stray fields to be reduced to very small values. The experimental data are analyzed using quantum calculations based on a two-active-electron model together with classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations. These allow determination of the atomic dipole moments and confirm that stray fields can be reduced to $\ensuremath{\le}25\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}$V cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.90.013401

Related papers

Characterizing high- n quasi-one-dimensional strontium Rydberg atoms

Moritz Hiller, S. Yoshida, Joachim Burgdörfer +3 more

The production of high-$n$, $n\ensuremath{\sim}300$, quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) strontium Rydberg atoms through two-photon excitation of selected extreme Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field is examined using a crossed laser-atom beam geometry. The dipolar polarization of the electron wave function in the product states is probed using two independent techniques. The experimental data are analyzed with a classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulation employing initial ensembles that are obtained with the aid of quantum calculations based on a two-active-electron model. Comparisons between theory and experiment highlight different characteristics of the product quasi-1D states, in particular, their large permanent dipole moments, $\ensuremath{\sim}$1.0 to 1.2${n}^{2}e{a}_{0}$, where $e$ is the electronic charge and ${a}_{0}$ is the Bohr radius. Such states can be engineered using pulsed electric fields to create a wide variety of target states.

Physical Review A•Feb 21, 2014•11 citations

Production of very-high- n strontium Rydberg atoms

S. Ye, X. Zhang, T. C. Killian +5 more

The production of very-high-$n$ ($n\ensuremath{\sim}300$--500) strontium Rydberg atoms is explored using a crossed-laser-atom-beam geometry. $n$${}^{1}{S}_{0}$ and $n$${}^{1}{D}_{2}$ states are created by two-photon excitation via the $5s5p$ ${}^{1}{P}_{1}$ intermediate state using radiation with wavelengths of $\ensuremath{\sim}$461 and $\ensuremath{\sim}$413 nm. Rydberg atom densities as high as $\ensuremath{\sim}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ have been achieved, sufficient that Rydberg-Rydberg interactions can become important. The isotope shifts in the Rydberg series limits are determined by tuning the 461-nm light to preferentially excite the different strontium isotopes. Photoexcitation in the presence of an applied electric field is examined. The initially quadratic Stark shift of the $n$${}^{1}{P}_{1}$ and $n$${}^{1}{D}_{2}$ states becomes near-linear at higher fields and the possible use of $n{}^{1}{D}_{2}$ states to create strongly polarized, quasi-one-dimensional electronic states in strontium is discussed. The data are analyzed with the aid of a two-active-electron (TAE) approximation. The two-electron Hamiltonian, within which the Sr${}^{2+}$ core is represented by a semi-empirical potential, is numerically diagonalized allowing the calculation of the energies of high-$n$ Rydberg states and their photoexcitation probabilities.

arXiv:1309.7359•Physical Review A•Oct 28, 2013•41 citations

Creating Strontium Rydberg Atoms

Xinyue Zhang

Dipole-dipole interactions, the strongest, longest-range interactions possible between two neutral atoms, cannot be better manifested anywhere else than in a Rydberg atomic system. Rydberg atoms, having high principal quantum numbers n>>1 and dipole moments that scale as n^2, provide a powerful tool to examine dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, we have studied the production and production rates of strontium Rydberg atoms created using two-photon excitation and have explored their properties in two distinct experiments. In the first experiment, very-high-n (n~300) Rydberg atoms are produced in a tightly collimated atomic beam allowing spectroscopic studies of their energy levels and their Stark effects. Simulations using a two-active-electron model, developed by our theoretical collaborators, allow detailed analysis of the results and are in remarkable agreement with the experimental results. The high density of Rydberg atoms achieved ~ 5*10^5 cm^(-3), in this experiment will allow studies of strongly interacting Rydberg-Rydberg systems. The second experiment, in which a cold strontium Rydberg gas is excited in a magneto-optic trap, features an imaging technique offering both spatial and temporal resolution. We use this technique to observe and study the evolution of an ultra-cold strontium Rydberg gas which reveals the importance of Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in the early stages of this evolution. Strongly interacting Rydberg gas provides an opportunity to realize a very strongly-correlated ultra-cold plasma.

•May 28, 2013•0 citations

Rydberg blockade effects at n∼300 in strontium

X. Zhang, F. B. Dunning, S. Yoshida +1 more

Rydberg blockade at $n\ensuremath{\sim}300$, is examined using strontium $n\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{1}F_{3}$ Rydberg atoms excited in an atomic beam in a small volume defined by two tightly focused crossed laser beams. The observation of blockade for such states is challenging due to their extreme sensitivity to stray fields and the many magnetic sublevels associated with $F$ states which results in a high local density of states. Nonetheless, with a careful choice of laser polarization to selectively excite only a limited number of these sublevels, sizable blockade effects are observed on an $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ mm length scale extending blockade measurements into the near-macroscopic regime and enabling study of the dynamics of strongly coupled many-body high-$n$ Rydberg systems under carefully controlled conditions.

Physical Review A•Nov 23, 2015•12 citations

Characterization of quasi-one-dimensional Rydberg atoms using multiply directed half-cycle pulses

Wen Kui Zhao, J. C. Lancaster, F. B. Dunning +2 more

The characteristics of quasi-one-dimensional (1D) high-$n$ Rydberg atoms produced by photoexciting, in a weak dc field, extreme members of the $n=350$ Stark manifold are investigated by studying their ionization when subjected to unidirectional electric field pulses, termed half-cycle pulses (HCP's), of duration ${T}_{p}⪡{T}_{n}$ where ${T}_{n}$ is the classical electron orbital period, directed both parallel and perpendicular to the atomic axis. The observed differences in the ionization characteristics provide a measure of the anisotropy of the momentum distribution. It is shown that HCP's applied transverse to the atomic axis provide a particularly sensitive probe of the quasi-1D nature of the state. The experimental data are in good agreement with the results of classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations.

Physical Review A•Apr 8, 2004•9 citations

Production of quasi-one-dimensional very-high-nRydberg atoms

C. L. Stokely, J. C. Lancaster, F. B. Dunning +3 more

We demonstrate that strongly polarized quasi-one-dimensional very-high-n (potassium) Rydberg atoms can be produced by photoexcitation of selected Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field. Calculations show that, for $m=0$ states, significant photoexcitation occurs only in the vicinity of the Stark-shifted s, p, and d levels, and that those states located near the Stark-shifted d level have sizable polarizations. These predictions are confirmed by experiment. The degree of polarization of the product states is analyzed by studying differences in their ionization characteristics when subject to short pulsed electric fields applied parallel and antiparallel to the dc field.

Physical Review A•Jan 17, 2003•54 citations
The efficient production of very-high-nnn, n\ensuremath∼300n\ensuremath{\sim}300n\ensuremath∼300, quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) strontium Rydberg atoms through three-photon excitation of extreme Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field is demonstrated using a crossed laser-atom beam geometry. Strongly polarized quasi-1D states with large permanent dipole moments \ensuremath∼1.2n2\ensuremath{\sim}1.2{n}^{2}\ensuremath∼1.2n2 a.u. can be created in the beam at densities (\ensuremath∼106\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{6}\ensuremath∼106 cm\ensuremath−3{}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\ensuremath−3) where dipole blockade effects should become important. A further advantage of three-photon excitation is that the product FFF states are sensitive to the presence of external fields, allowing stray fields to be reduced to very small values. The experimental data are analyzed using quantum calculations based on a two-active-electron model together with classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations. These allow determination of the atomic dipole moments and confirm that stray fields can be reduced to \ensuremath≤25\ensuremathμ\ensuremath{\le}25\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath≤25\ensuremathμV cm\ensuremath−1{}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\ensuremath−1.
The production of high-nnn, $n\ensuremath{\sim}300$, quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) strontium Rydberg atoms through two-photon excitation of selected extreme Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field is examined using a crossed laser-atom beam geometry. The dipolar polarization of the electron wave function in the product states is probed using two independent techniques. The experimental data are analyzed with a classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulation employing initial ensembles that are obtained with the aid of quantum calculations based on a two-active-electron model. Comparisons between theory and experiment highlight different characteristics of the product quasi-1D states, in particular, their large permanent dipole moments, $\ensuremath{\sim}1.0to1.21.0 to 1.21.0to1.2{n}^{2}e{a}_{0}$, where eee is the electronic charge and a0{a}_{0}a0​ is the Bohr radius. Such states can be engineered using pulsed electric fields to create a wide variety of target states.
The production of very-high-nnn ($n\ensuremath{\sim}300$--500) strontium Rydberg atoms is explored using a crossed-laser-atom-beam geometry. nnn1S0{}^{1}{S}_{0}1S0​ and nnn1D2{}^{1}{D}_{2}1D2​ states are created by two-photon excitation via the 5s5p5s5p5s5p 1P1{}^{1}{P}_{1}1P1​ intermediate state using radiation with wavelengths of $\ensuremath{\sim}$461 and $\ensuremath{\sim}$413 nm. Rydberg atom densities as high as $\ensuremath{\sim}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ have been achieved, sufficient that Rydberg-Rydberg interactions can become important. The isotope shifts in the Rydberg series limits are determined by tuning the 461-nm light to preferentially excite the different strontium isotopes. Photoexcitation in the presence of an applied electric field is examined. The initially quadratic Stark shift of the nnn1P1{}^{1}{P}_{1}1P1​ and nnn1D2{}^{1}{D}_{2}1D2​ states becomes near-linear at higher fields and the possible use of n1D2n{}^{1}{D}_{2}n1D2​ states to create strongly polarized, quasi-one-dimensional electronic states in strontium is discussed. The data are analyzed with the aid of a two-active-electron (TAE) approximation. The two-electron Hamiltonian, within which the Sr2+{}^{2+}2+ core is represented by a semi-empirical potential, is numerically diagonalized allowing the calculation of the energies of high-nnn Rydberg states and their photoexcitation probabilities.
Dipole-dipole interactions, the strongest, longest-range interactions possible between two neutral atoms, cannot be better manifested anywhere else than in a Rydberg atomic system. Rydberg atoms, having high principal quantum numbers n>>1 and dipole moments that scale as n^2, provide a powerful tool to examine dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, we have studied the production and production rates of strontium Rydberg atoms created using two-photon excitation and have explored their properties in two distinct experiments. In the first experiment, very-high-n (n~300) Rydberg atoms are produced in a tightly collimated atomic beam allowing spectroscopic studies of their energy levels and their Stark effects. Simulations using a two-active-electron model, developed by our theoretical collaborators, allow detailed analysis of the results and are in remarkable agreement with the experimental results. The high density of Rydberg atoms achieved ~ 5*10^5 cm^(-3), in this experiment will allow studies of strongly interacting Rydberg-Rydberg systems. The second experiment, in which a cold strontium Rydberg gas is excited in a magneto-optic trap, features an imaging technique offering both spatial and temporal resolution. We use this technique to observe and study the evolution of an ultra-cold strontium Rydberg gas which reveals the importance of Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in the early stages of this evolution. Strongly interacting Rydberg gas provides an opportunity to realize a very strongly-correlated ultra-cold plasma.
Rydberg blockade at $n\ensuremath{\sim}300$, is examined using strontium n1F3n\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{1}F_{3}n1F3​ Rydberg atoms excited in an atomic beam in a small volume defined by two tightly focused crossed laser beams. The observation of blockade for such states is challenging due to their extreme sensitivity to stray fields and the many magnetic sublevels associated with FFF states which results in a high local density of states. Nonetheless, with a careful choice of laser polarization to selectively excite only a limited number of these sublevels, sizable blockade effects are observed on an $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ mm length scale extending blockade measurements into the near-macroscopic regime and enabling study of the dynamics of strongly coupled many-body high-nnn Rydberg systems under carefully controlled conditions.
The characteristics of quasi-one-dimensional (1D) high-nnn Rydberg atoms produced by photoexciting, in a weak dc field, extreme members of the n=350n=350n=350 Stark manifold are investigated by studying their ionization when subjected to unidirectional electric field pulses, termed half-cycle pulses (HCP's), of duration Tp⪡Tn{T}_{p}⪡{T}_{n}Tp​⪡Tn​ where Tn{T}_{n}Tn​ is the classical electron orbital period, directed both parallel and perpendicular to the atomic axis. The observed differences in the ionization characteristics provide a measure of the anisotropy of the momentum distribution. It is shown that HCP's applied transverse to the atomic axis provide a particularly sensitive probe of the quasi-1D nature of the state. The experimental data are in good agreement with the results of classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations.
We demonstrate that strongly polarized quasi-one-dimensional very-high-n (potassium) Rydberg atoms can be produced by photoexcitation of selected Stark states in the presence of a weak dc field. Calculations show that, for m=0m=0m=0 states, significant photoexcitation occurs only in the vicinity of the Stark-shifted s, p, and d levels, and that those states located near the Stark-shifted d level have sizable polarizations. These predictions are confirmed by experiment. The degree of polarization of the product states is analyzed by studying differences in their ionization characteristics when subject to short pulsed electric fields applied parallel and antiparallel to the dc field.