New Journal of Physics

Rydberg-atom trajectories in a ponderomotive optical lattice

Kelly Cooper Younge, Sarah Elizabeth Anderson, Georg A. Raithel

Published Nov 17, 2010• 8 citations

Abstract

Using semiclassical simulations, we investigate the trajectories and the microwave spectra of Rydberg atoms excited in a ponderomotive optical lattice. We relate distinct features found in the microwave spectra to characteristic types of trajectory. Several methods are presented that are designed to greatly improve the trapping efficiency of the lattice and to generalize the trapping from one to three dimensions.

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/12/11/113036

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