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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Time dependence of Rydberg EIT in pulsed optical and RF fields

Rachel Sapiro, Georg A. Raithel, David Alexander Anderson

Published Feb 7, 2020• 39 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We investigate the time dependence of atom-light and atom-RF field interactions in Rydberg electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in a room-temperature and heated vapour cell. Quantum-optical transients are observed with rapid onset and dissolution of EIT induced by coupler-light pulses. The formulation and dissolution times of EIT, transient signals, and their dependencies on light intensities and Rydberg-atom density are studied. Simulations of pulsed EIT are performed by solving a time-dependent three-level master equation, whose results are in excellent agreement with experimental observations, including accurately reproducing quantum-optical transients observed at both onset and dissolution. We explore the time-dependent response of EIT to RF fields resonant with a Rydberg–Rydberg transition. An upper limit to the fundamental atom-RF field response time and instantaneous RF detection bandwidth with EIT-based sensors and receivers is established.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6455/ab7426

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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jan 30, 2015•15 citations
Abstract We investigate the time dependence of atom-light and atom-RF field interactions in Rydberg electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in a room-temperature and heated vapour cell. Quantum-optical transients are observed with rapid onset and dissolution of EIT induced by coupler-light pulses. The formulation and dissolution times of EIT, transient signals, and their dependencies on light intensities and Rydberg-atom density are studied. Simulations of pulsed EIT are performed by solving a time-dependent three-level master equation, whose results are in excellent agreement with experimental observations, including accurately reproducing quantum-optical transients observed at both onset and dissolution. We explore the time-dependent response of EIT to RF fields resonant with a Rydberg–Rydberg transition. An upper limit to the fundamental atom-RF field response time and instantaneous RF detection bandwidth with EIT-based sensors and receivers is established.
Rydberg atoms have shown significant promise as the basis for highly sensitive detectors of continuous radio-frequency (RF) E-fields. Here, we study their time-dependent response to pulse-modulated RF E-fields at 19.4 GHz using a cesium vapour cell at room temperature. We use density matrix simulations to explain the time scales that shape the transient atomic response under different laser conditions, finding them to be limited by dephasing mechanisms including transit time broadening, Rydberg-Rydberg collisions, and ionization. Using a matched filter, we demonstrate the detection of individual pulses with durations from 10 μμμs down to 50 ns and amplitudes from 15000 μμμV cm−1^{-1}−1 down to ~170 μμμV cm−1^{-1}−1, corresponding to a sensitivity of ~240 nV cm−1^{-1}−1 Hz−1/2^{-1/2}−1/2. Finally, we highlight the potential of a Rydberg vapour cell as a receiver by detecting pulse trains from a rotating emitter on a simulated passing aircraft.
In this work, we present theoretical and experimental data on detecting pulsed radio frequency fields. We focus on pulse arrival time detection accuracy. We measure two-photon Rydberg atom EIT in response to ~μs pulse-modulated radio-frequency signals resonant with a Rydberg-Rydberg transition, using a room temperature cesium vapor cell with the lasers locked on atomic resonances. We study the dependence of the atomic response on optical and radio-frequency Rabi frequencies as well as effects such as atomic collisions, ionization, and transit time broadening. We find good agreement with time-dependent simulations performed using a density matrix approach, with a dark state added to account for Rydberg atom decay. We present factors that can influence the sensitivity and timing precision of radio frequency pulses detected under these conditions. Such a system demonstrates potential for the detection of weak radio-frequency pulses in communications and radar applications.
We investigate the linear and nonlinear optical response to an optical pumping of a four-level atomic system with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a cold Rydberg atomic gas. It is found that the transient behavior (especially, the third- and fifth-order susceptibilities) of the probe field, and the steady-state EIT spectrum of the gas, depend crucially on the Rydberg atoms' interaction. Furthermore, we find that the response speed of the Rydberg interaction with EIT can be as much as six times faster than the EIT without the Rydberg interaction, and that the nonlinear response time of the fifth-order optical susceptibility is longer than that of the third-order susceptibility. It is established that the Rydberg blockade effect plays a significant role in increasing the response speed of the Rydberg with EIT.
Rydberg atoms show significant promise as the basis for highly sensitive detectors of continuous radio-frequency (rf) electric fields (E fields). Here, we study their time-dependent response to pulse-modulated rf E fields at 19.4 GHz using a cesium vapor cell at room temperature. We use density-matrix simulations to explain the timescales that shape the transient atomic response under different laser conditions, finding them to be limited by dephasing mechanisms, including transit-time broadening, Rydberg-Rydberg collisions, and ionization. Using a matched filter, we demonstrate the detection of individual pulses with durations from 10 \textmu{}s down to 50 ns and amplitudes from 15 000 \textmu{}V ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ down to about 170 \textmu{}V ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, corresponding to a sensitivity of about 240 nV ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ ${\mathrm{Hz}}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$. Finally, we highlight the potential of a Rydberg vapor cell as a receiver by detecting pulse trains from a rotating emitter on a simulated passing aircraft.
Transient response of four-level cold Rb atoms with light and microwave (MW) fields is investigated via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) theoretically. The local control laser acts as a switch. When the control field is weak, the population transition channel from state 53 D 5/2 to state 5 S 1/2 is closed, which leads to that the transient absorption for the probe field monotonically decreases to its steady state. Nevertheless, when the control field becomes strong, the transition channel is open, which gives rise to that the transient absorption for the probe laser will be oscillatorily damped to the steady-state value, and transient negative absorption appears. A third MW field can induce splitting of the time-dependent EIT transmission spectrum, and the stable splitting distance shows a linear dependence on the continuous MW electric (E) field strength. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the temporal medium transmission signals are sensitive to the E-field strength of local MW pulse, and can be used to sense pulsed MW fields.
Abstract We investigate, experimentally and theoretically, time development of Zeeman electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) during propagation of two time separated polarization laser pulses, preparatory and probe, through Rb vapour. The pulses were produced by modifying laser intensity and degree of elliptical polarization. The frequency of the single laser beam is locked to the hyperfine transition of the D 1 line in 87 Rb. Transients in the intensity of component of the transmitted light are measured or calculated at different values of the external magnetic field, during both preparatory and probe pulse. Zeeman EIT resonances at particular time instants of the pulse propagation are reconstructed by appropriate sampling of the transients. We observe how laser intensity, Ramsey sequence and the Rb cell temperature affect the time dependence of EIT line shapes, amplitudes and linewidths. We show that at early times of the probe pulse propagation, several Ramsey fringes are present in EIT resonances, while at later moments a single narrow peak prevails. Time development of EIT amplitudes are determined by the transmitted intensity of the component during the pulse propagation.