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Generation of cold Rydberg atoms at submicron distances from an optical nanofiber

Krishnapriya Subramonian Rajasree, Tridib Ray, Kristoffer Karlsson, Jesse L. Everett, Síle Nic Chormaic

Published Feb 14, 2020• 46 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We report on a controllable, hybrid quantum system consisting of cold Rydberg atoms and an optical nanofiber interface. Using a two-photon ladder-type excitation in 87Rb, we demonstrate both coherent and incoherent Rydberg excitation at submicron distances from the nanofiber surface. The 780-nm photon, near resonant to the 5S→5P transition, is mediated by the cooling laser, while the 482-nm light, near resonant to the 5P→29D transition, is mediated by the guided mode of the nanofiber. The population loss rate of the cold atom ensemble is used to measure the Rydberg population rate. A theoretical model is developed to interpret the results and link the population loss rate to the experimentally measured, effective Rabi frequency of the process. This work makes headway in the study of Rydberg atom-surface interactions at submicron distances and the use of cold Rydberg atoms for all-fibered quantum networks.

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arXiv:2305.05186•May 9, 2023•0 citations
We report on a controllable, hybrid quantum system consisting of cold Rydberg atoms and an optical nanofiber interface. Using a two-photon ladder-type excitation in 87Rb, we demonstrate both coherent and incoherent Rydberg excitation at submicron distances from the nanofiber surface. The 780-nm photon, near resonant to the 5S→5P transition, is mediated by the cooling laser, while the 482-nm light, near resonant to the 5P→29D transition, is mediated by the guided mode of the nanofiber. The population loss rate of the cold atom ensemble is used to measure the Rydberg population rate. A theoretical model is developed to interpret the results and link the population loss rate to the experimentally measured, effective Rabi frequency of the process. This work makes headway in the study of Rydberg atom-surface interactions at submicron distances and the use of cold Rydberg atoms for all-fibered quantum networks.
Complete control of light-matter interactions at a single quantum level is critical for quantum science applications such as precision measurements and information processing. Nanophotonic devices, developed with recent advancements in nanofabrication techniques, can be used to tailor the interactions between single photons and atoms. One example of such a device is the optical nanofibre, which provides an excellent platform due to the strongly confined transverse light fields, long interaction length, low loss, and diverse optical modes. This facilitates a strong interaction between atoms and guided light, revealing chiral atom-light processes and the prospect of waveguide quantum electrodynamics. This work highlights recent advances on optical nanofiber mediated excitation of cold rubidium Rydberg atoms for the creation of a 1D Rydberg array.
Hybrid quantum platforms based on highly excited Rydberg atoms coupled to nanophotonics devices offer a promising route toward scalable quantum networks and integrated quantum technologies. However, the close proximity of Rydberg atoms to dielectric nanostructures makes these systems particularly susceptible to uncontrolled surface electric fields that can lead to a degradation of the excitation process. Here, we experimentally investigate Rydberg excitation of laser-cooled 87^{87}87Rb atoms via the evanescent field of an optical nanofiber in the presence of fiber-guided red- and blue-detuned light fields as used to trap ground state atoms in fiber-based dipole traps. We observe a time evolution of the Rydberg excitation spectrum when both the dipole trapping fields are on and the additional spectral features that appear can be suppressed by applying an external oscillating electric field to the system, strongly indicating that surface charge accumulation is responsible for the observed spectral feature. The experimental results are reproduced qualitatively by a model that incorporates DC energy level shifts arising from electric fields generated by charges deposited on the nanofiber surface. We identify Rydberg-ground state collisional ionization, which is enhanced by the dipole trapping fields, as the dominant mechanism for charge generation. These results provide new insight into charge dynamics at dielectric nanophotonic interfaces and establish practical guidelines for mitigating surface charge-induced electric fields in fiber-integrated Rydberg quantum systems.
Surface-Induced Spectral Broadening during Efficient Two-Photon Excitation of Cold 133Cs^{133}\text{Cs}133Cs Atoms near an Optical Nanofiber
We report the experimental observation of the 133^{\text{133}}133Cs 6S1/2_{\text{1/2}}1/2​ to 6D5/2_{\text{5/2}}5/2​ single-frequency two-photon transition at low excitation power using an optical nanofiber embedded in a cold atom cloud. We investigate the 917 nm fluorescence spectra modified by the surface-induced interaction of the nanofiber, which exhibits a pronounced asymmetric broadening with a distinct red-shifted tail. We present a systematic theoretical description of the two-photon transition process of atoms near a nanofiber surface, considering atomic angular momentum coupling, guided-mode decay rate, and surface-induced van der Waals interactions. Owing to the tight spatial confinement provided by the guided evanescent field, efficient nonlinear excitation is realized at excitation powers down to tens of microwatts, corresponding to a reduction of approximately four orders of magnitude relative to typical free-space implementations. Our work reveals the interplay among waveguide-modified radiative dynamics, surface-induced interactions, and the spatial distribution of atoms around the nanofiber, and provides insights into further studies on nonlinear optical transitions and surface-mediated atomic dynamics in waveguide quantum electrodynamics systems.
A tapered optical nanofiber is simultaneously used to trap and optically interface cold atoms through evanescent fields and constitutes a new and well controllable hybrid quantum system. The atoms are trapped in two parallel one dimensional (1D) optical lattices generated by suitable far blue and red detuned evanescent field modes very close to opposite sides of the nanofiber surface. Collective electronic excitations (excitons) of each of the optical lattices are resonantly coupled to the second lattice forming symmetric and antisymmetric common excitons. In contrast to the inverse cube dependence of the individual atomic dipole–dipole interaction, we analytically find an exponentially decaying coupling strength with distance between the lattices. The resulting symmetric (bright) excitons strongly interact with the resonant nanofiber photons to form fiber polaritons, which can be observed through linear optical spectra. For large enough wave vectors, the polariton decay rate to free space is strongly reduced, which should render this system ideal for the realization of long-range quantum communication between atomic ensembles.
Excitation of 87^{87}87Rb Rydberg atoms to nS and nD states (n$\leq$68) via an optical nanofiber
Cold Rydberg atoms are a promising platform for quantum technologies and combining them with optical waveguides has the potential to create robust quantum information devices. Here, we experimentally observe the excitation of cold rubidium atoms to a large range of Rydberg S and D states through interaction with the evanescent field of an optical nanofiber. We develop a theoretical model to account for experimental phenomena present such as the AC Stark shifts and the Casimir-Polder interaction. This work strengthens the knowledge of Rydberg atom interactions with optical nanofibers and is a critical step toward the implementation of all-fiber quantum networks and waveguide QED systems using highly excited atoms.