Observation and measurement of interaction-induced dispersive optical nonlinearities in an ensemble of cold Rydberg atoms.
We observe and measure dispersive optical nonlinearities in an ensemble of cold Rydberg atoms placed inside an optical cavity. The experimental results are in agreement with a simple model where the optical nonlinearities are due to the progressive appearance of a Rydberg blockaded volume within the medium. The measurements allow a direct estimation of the "blockaded fraction" of atoms within the atomic ensemble.
Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d'Optique, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 2 Avenue Fresnel, 91127 Palaiseau, France.
Valentina
V
Parigi
Erwan
E
Bimbard
Jovica
J
Stanojevic
Andrew J
AJ
Hilliard
Florence
F
Nogrette
Rosa
R
Tualle-Brouri
Alexei
A
Ourjoumtsev
Philippe
P
Grangier