Trap Loss Spectroscopy of Ultracold Cesium Rydberg Atoms

Sylvain Schwartz

Michael Peper

Zhigang Feng, Hao Zhang, Junling Che +4 more

The collisional loss rates of 63${S}_{1/2}$ Rydberg atoms in cesium magneto-optical trap are measured by using the state-selective pulse field ionization technique and used to investigate the interaction between Rydberg atoms. The collisional loss rate coefficients due to collisions with Rydberg atoms and ground-state atoms are obtained by fitting the experimental data. The results indicate that the large collisional loss mainly comes from the strong long-range interaction between ultracold Rydberg atoms, and the loss rate is significantly increased under a weak electric field.

Erik Brekke

Xin Wang, Xiaokai Hou, Feifei Lu +6 more

We experimentally investigate trap-loss spectra of the cesium 6S1/2(F = 4) → 71P3/2 Rydberg transition by combining the cesium atomic magneto-optical trap with the narrow-linewidth, continuously tunable 318.6 nm ultraviolet laser. Specifically, the atoms in the magneto-optical trap are excited to the Rydberg state due to the ultraviolet laser single-step Rydberg excitation, which leads to the reduction of atomic fluorescence. Based on the trap-loss spectroscopy technology, the Autler–Townes (AT) splitting due to a strong cooling laser is observed, and the parameter dependence of the AT splitting interval of trap-loss spectroscopy is investigated. The effective temperature of cold atoms is measured by using simplified time-of-flight fluorescence imaging. In addition, closed-loop feedback power stabilization of 318.6 nm ultraviolet laser is carried out. This lays the foundation for further experimental research related to the Rydberg atoms using ultraviolet lasers, which is of great significance for the development of quantum computing and quantum information.

K. Richard Overstreet

This thesis describes experimental studies of Rydberg atom pair interactions. A new technique is described that combines trapping of ultracold Cesium atoms with Rydberg tagging time-of-flight spectroscopy to attain a velocity resolution of 2.5 cm/s. Using this technique, observed molecular resonances in Cesium spectra are characterized as either dissociating photo-initiated collision processes or bound long range Rydberg atom-Rydberg atom molecules called macrodimers.