Controlling Rydberg atom excitations in dense background gases. (23rd August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liebisch, Tara Cubel; Schlagmüller, Michael; Engel, Felix; Nguyen, Huan; Balewski, Jonathan; Lochead, Graham; Böttcher, Fabian; Westphal, Karl M; Kleinbach, Kathrin S; Schmid, Thomas; Gaj, Anita; Löw, Robert; Hofferberth, Sebastian; Pfau, Tilman; Pérez-Ríos, Jesús; Greene, Chris H
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 49:Number 18(2016:Sep. 15)
• Publication Date: 2016-08-23
• Subjects: Rydberg -- spectroscopy -- density shift -- BEC -- pseudopotential -- shape resonance; 32.80.Ee -- 67.85.-d -- 32.70.Jz; Atoms -- Periodicals; Molecules -- Periodicals; Optics -- Periodicals; Nuclear physics -- Periodicals; 539.6
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/49/18/182001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-4075

Abstract

Abstract: We discuss the density shift and broadening of Rydberg spectra measured in cold, dense atom clouds in the context of Rydberg atom spectroscopy done at room temperature, dating back to the experiments of Amaldi and Segrè in 1934. We discuss the theory first developed in 1934 by Fermi to model the mean-field density shift and subsequent developments of the theoretical understanding since then. In particular, we present a model whereby the density shift is calculated using a microscopic model in which the configurations of the perturber atoms within the Rydberg orbit are considered. We present spectroscopic measurements of a Rydberg atom, taken in a Bose–Einstein condensate and thermal clouds with densities varying from 5 × 10 14 to 9 × 10 12 cm −3 . The density shift measured via the spectrum's center of gravity is compared with the mean-field energy shift expected for the effective atom cloud density determined via a time of flight image. Lastly, we present calculations and data demonstrating the ability of localizing the Rydberg excitation via the density shift within a particular density shell for high principal quantum numbers.