© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

Exploring strongly correlated Rydberg excitations in cold gases using Full Counting Statistics

María Martínez Valado

Published Jan 1, 2015• 1 citation

Abstract

This Thesis aims to investigate the role of correlations arising in cold Rydberg samples as a consequence of the strong interactions between its constituents. \nFor this purpose, two different approaches, which allow the study of different correlations, are presented here. On the one hand, as a consequence of the interactions between the excitations, resonantly excited Rydberg ensembles exhibit a strong degree of anti-correlation, which becomes visible either through the blockade of the excitation, or through a slowing down of the dynamics. On the other hand, the Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in the off-resonant regime enhance the generation of new excitations, leading the system to exhibit strong correlations. Moreover, by analyzing the full counting statistics (FCS) of the excitation events we get more insight into this process. Thus, in the off-resonant case, the most notable features of these strong correlations are the bimodal shapes of histograms of the counting distributions. Furthermore, under strong dissipative conditions, the FCS analysis reveals signs of a transition between two dynamical phases. Although the afore-mentioned effects were observed in a system governed by an Ising-type Hamiltonian, correlations emerge in other systems as well. For instance, in systems described by Heisenberg XX-type Hamiltonians, the strong interactions lead the dipolar energy exchange between the excitations.

DOI: 10.11588/heidok.00018785

Related papers

Full Counting Statistics and Phase Diagram of a Dissipative Rydberg Gas

Nicola Malossi, María Martínez Valado, Stefano Scotto +5 more

Ultracold gases excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states are a promising system for quantum simulations of many-body systems. For off-resonant excitation of such systems in the dissipative regime, highly correlated many-body states exhibiting, among other characteristics, intermittency and multimodal counting distributions are expected to be created. Here we report on the realization of a dissipative gas of rubidium Rydberg atoms and on the measurement of its full counting statistics and phase diagram for both resonant and off-resonant excitation. We find strongly bimodal counting distributions in the off-resonant regime that are compatible with intermittency due to the coexistence of dynamical phases. Our results pave the way towards detailed studies of many-body effects in Rydberg gases.

arXiv:1308.1854•Physical Review Letters•Jul 8, 2014•161 citations

Few and Many-body Physics in cold Rydberg gases

Paul H. Huillery

During this thesis, the Physics of interacting systems has been investigated experimentally using Cold Rydberg gases. Rydberg atoms are very excited atoms and have the particularity to interact strongly together through long-range electrostatic interaction. A first highlight of the thesis is a direct experimental observation of a 4-body process. This process consists in internal exchanges of excitations between 4 Rydberg atoms due to their mutual interactions. In addition to its experimental observation, the process has been succefully described theoretically at a quantum level. A second highlight of this thesis has concerns the study of the laser excitation of strongly interacting Rydberg gases. In this regime, many-body quantum correlations play a central role leading to fascinating many-body behavior. In addition to fundamental interests, such systems could be used to implement quantum simulator or non-classical light sources. The system has been investigated during this thesis through the counting statistics of the Rydberg excitation. A highly sub-poisonian, i.e correlated, statistics has been observed in the regim of strong interactions proving the many-body nature of the system. A third highlight of this thesis is the development of an original theoretical model to describe the laser excitation of strongly interacting Rydberg gases. Using the so-called Dicke collective states, it has been possible to catch several interesting features of this many-body problem.

•Mar 12, 2013•0 citations

Formation of Aggregates and Energy Transport in Ultracold Rydberg Interacting Gases

H. Schempp

This thesis investigates different aspects of strongly interacting ultracold Rydberg gases coupled by light, including the excitation of correlated structures called Rydberg aggregates and dipolar energy transport. For this purpose an experimental apparatus has been constructed. We study coherent population trapping (CPT) and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) involving Rydberg states. To study the formation of Rydberg aggregates we use full counting statistics (FCS) which makes it possible to infer the size of Rydberg aggregates. Dephasing during the excitation is found to have a dramatic effect on the formation process, leading to sequential growth around an initial grain. Rydberg state EIT is used to realize a new direct optical imaging scheme for Rydberg atoms which combines highly sensitive detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. Applying this technique we observe dipole-mediated energy transport processes between Rydberg atoms. We study classical transport in the presence of strong measurement induced decoherence. The strong interactions are seen to mediate long-range hopping significantly beyond nearest neighbors. We present first indications for coherent transport in this system. These experiments shed light on the role of correlations in the excitation and evolution of strongly interacting quantum systems and e.g. could possibly be used to model energy transport in biological systems. \n

•Jan 1, 2014•0 citations

Characterization of strongly-correlated and dissipative Rydberg gases by using full counting statistics

D. Ciampini

Ultra-cold gases of Rydberg atoms have been identified in recent years as promising candidates for the implementation of quantum computers or quantum simulators. Strongly correlated structures of atoms excited to Rydberg states, so-called Rydberg aggregates, were studied both for resonant and off-resonant excitation regimes.

•Jan 1, 2014•0 citations

Ultracold Rubidium Atoms Excited to Rydberg Levels

D. Ciampini, O. Morsch, E. Arimondo

Ultracold atomic gases excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states are a promising system for quantum simulations of many-body systems. The dipole blockade of Rydberg excitations is a hallmark of the strong interactions between atoms in these high-lying quantum states. We have measured the Rydberg excitation for rubidium ultracold atoms in magneto-optical traps and for Bose-Einstein condensates loaded into quasi one-dimensional traps. One of the consequences of the dipole blockade is the suppression of fluctuations in the counting statistics of Rydberg excitations. We have obtained experimental results on the dynamics and the counting statistics of Rydberg excitations of ultra-cold Rubidium atoms both on and off resonance, which exhibit sub- and super-Poissonian counting statistics, respectively. We have found strongly bimodal counting distributions in the offresonant regime.

Journal of Atomic Molecular Condensate and Nano Physics•Dec 29, 2015•4 citations

Strongly correlated excitation of a quasi-1D Rydberg gas

Nicola Malossi, María Martínez Valado, Stefano Scotto +3 more

Rydberg excitation dynamics of a 87-Rb cold atom cloud is investigated in an effective one-dimensional geometry. We measure the excitation dynamics and the full counting statistics for resonant and off-resonant excitation to the 70 S state. While for a resonant laser excitation the counting distributions have a strong sub-Poissonian character, we find strongly bimodal counting distributions in the off-resonant regime. The n-th central moments, up to n = 4, of the counting distributions are derived from the measured counting distributions.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•Apr 9, 2014•5 citations

This Thesis aims to investigate the role of correlations arising in cold Rydberg samples as a consequence of the strong interactions between its constituents. \nFor this purpose, two different approaches, which allow the study of different correlations, are presented here. On the one hand, as a consequence of the interactions between the excitations, resonantly excited Rydberg ensembles exhibit a strong degree of anti-correlation, which becomes visible either through the blockade of the excitation, or through a slowing down of the dynamics. On the other hand, the Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in the off-resonant regime enhance the generation of new excitations, leading the system to exhibit strong correlations. Moreover, by analyzing the full counting statistics (FCS) of the excitation events we get more insight into this process. Thus, in the off-resonant case, the most notable features of these strong correlations are the bimodal shapes of histograms of the counting distributions. Furthermore, under strong dissipative conditions, the FCS analysis reveals signs of a transition between two dynamical phases. Although the afore-mentioned effects were observed in a system governed by an Ising-type Hamiltonian, correlations emerge in other systems as well. For instance, in systems described by Heisenberg XX-type Hamiltonians, the strong interactions lead the dipolar energy exchange between the excitations.

Ultracold gases excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states are a promising system for quantum simulations of many-body systems. For off-resonant excitation of such systems in the dissipative regime, highly correlated many-body states exhibiting, among other characteristics, intermittency and multimodal counting distributions are expected to be created. Here we report on the realization of a dissipative gas of rubidium Rydberg atoms and on the measurement of its full counting statistics and phase diagram for both resonant and off-resonant excitation. We find strongly bimodal counting distributions in the off-resonant regime that are compatible with intermittency due to the coexistence of dynamical phases. Our results pave the way towards detailed studies of many-body effects in Rydberg gases.

During this thesis, the Physics of interacting systems has been investigated experimentally using Cold Rydberg gases. Rydberg atoms are very excited atoms and have the particularity to interact strongly together through long-range electrostatic interaction. A first highlight of the thesis is a direct experimental observation of a 4-body process. This process consists in internal exchanges of excitations between 4 Rydberg atoms due to their mutual interactions. In addition to its experimental observation, the process has been succefully described theoretically at a quantum level. A second highlight of this thesis has concerns the study of the laser excitation of strongly interacting Rydberg gases. In this regime, many-body quantum correlations play a central role leading to fascinating many-body behavior. In addition to fundamental interests, such systems could be used to implement quantum simulator or non-classical light sources. The system has been investigated during this thesis through the counting statistics of the Rydberg excitation. A highly sub-poisonian, i.e correlated, statistics has been observed in the regim of strong interactions proving the many-body nature of the system. A third highlight of this thesis is the development of an original theoretical model to describe the laser excitation of strongly interacting Rydberg gases. Using the so-called Dicke collective states, it has been possible to catch several interesting features of this many-body problem.

This thesis investigates different aspects of strongly interacting ultracold Rydberg gases coupled by light, including the excitation of correlated structures called Rydberg aggregates and dipolar energy transport. For this purpose an experimental apparatus has been constructed. We study coherent population trapping (CPT) and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) involving Rydberg states. To study the formation of Rydberg aggregates we use full counting statistics (FCS) which makes it possible to infer the size of Rydberg aggregates. Dephasing during the excitation is found to have a dramatic effect on the formation process, leading to sequential growth around an initial grain. Rydberg state EIT is used to realize a new direct optical imaging scheme for Rydberg atoms which combines highly sensitive detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. Applying this technique we observe dipole-mediated energy transport processes between Rydberg atoms. We study classical transport in the presence of strong measurement induced decoherence. The strong interactions are seen to mediate long-range hopping significantly beyond nearest neighbors. We present first indications for coherent transport in this system. These experiments shed light on the role of correlations in the excitation and evolution of strongly interacting quantum systems and e.g. could possibly be used to model energy transport in biological systems. \n

Ultracold atomic gases excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states are a promising system for quantum simulations of many-body systems. The dipole blockade of Rydberg excitations is a hallmark of the strong interactions between atoms in these high-lying quantum states. We have measured the Rydberg excitation for rubidium ultracold atoms in magneto-optical traps and for Bose-Einstein condensates loaded into quasi one-dimensional traps. One of the consequences of the dipole blockade is the suppression of fluctuations in the counting statistics of Rydberg excitations. We have obtained experimental results on the dynamics and the counting statistics of Rydberg excitations of ultra-cold Rubidium atoms both on and off resonance, which exhibit sub- and super-Poissonian counting statistics, respectively. We have found strongly bimodal counting distributions in the offresonant regime.

Rydberg excitation dynamics of a 87-Rb cold atom cloud is investigated in an effective one-dimensional geometry. We measure the excitation dynamics and the full counting statistics for resonant and off-resonant excitation to the 70 S state. While for a resonant laser excitation the counting distributions have a strong sub-Poissonian character, we find strongly bimodal counting distributions in the off-resonant regime. The n-th central moments, up to n = 4, of the counting distributions are derived from the measured counting distributions.