Spectroscopic observation of resonant electric dipole-dipole interactions between cold Rydberg atoms.
Resonant electric dipole-dipole interactions between cold Rydberg atoms were observed using microwave spectroscopy. Laser-cooled 85Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap were optically excited to 45d(5/2) Rydberg states using a pulsed laser. A microwave pulse transferred a fraction of these Rydberg atoms to the 46p(3/2) state. A second microwave pulse then drove atoms in the 45d(5/2) state to the 46d(5/2) state, and was used as a probe of interatomic interactions. The spectral width of this two-photon probe transition was found to depend on the presence of the 46p(3/2) atoms, and is due to the resonant electric dipole-dipole interaction between 45d(5/2) and 46p(3/2) Rydberg atoms.
Afrousheh
K
K
Department of Physics and Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Bohlouli-Zanjani
P
P
Vagale
D
D
Mugford
A
A
Fedorov
M
M
Martin
J D D
JD