Probing nonlocal correlations with ultralong-range Rydberg molecules

Abstract

Ultracold atomic systems provide pristine environments for creating and manipulating strongly-interacting quantum systems. The flexibility and utility of ultracold atomic systems comes at the cost of isolation of the quantum system away from environmental perturbations inside of an ultra-high vacuum chamber. This isolation reduces the number of ways that these systems can be probed, in particular, there are relatively few ways to probe correlations in these systems at mesoscopic length scales. In this thesis we present a new technique for probing correlations in ultracold atomic gases using ultralong-range Rydberg molecules. We will present a description of the relevant experimental apparatus and techniques developed for laser cooling and trapping ultracold mixtures of Sr, and a brief theoretical discussion on the relationship between the pair correlation function $g^{(2)}(R)$ and the excitation rates of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules. We present two publications: the first on using ultralong-range Rydberg molecules to probe $g^{(2)}(R)$ in thermal gases, and the second on the creation of heteronuclear ultralong-range Rydberg molecules from a strongly interacting Bose mixture of $^{88}$Sr and $^{84}$Sr. Finally, we will present conclusions and a brief outlook for the future experiments utilizing this method.