title: Optomechanical Rydberg-atom excitation via dynamic Casimir-Polder coupling.
abstract: We study the optomechanical coupling of a oscillating effective mirror with a Rydberg atomic gas, mediated by the dynamical atom-mirror Casimir-Polder force. This coupling may produce a near-field resonant atomic excitation whose probability scales as ∝(d(2)an(4)t)(2)/z(0)(8), where z(0) is the average atom-surface distance, d the atomic dipole moment, a the mirror's effective oscillation amplitude, n the initial principal quantum number, and t the time. We propose an experimental configuration to realize this system with a cold atom gas trapped at a distance ∼2×10  μm from a semiconductor substrate whose dielectric constant is periodically driven by an external laser pulse, hence realizing an effective mechanical mirror motion due to the periodic change of the substrate from transparent to reflecting. For a parabolic gas shape, this effect is predicted to excite about ∼10(2) atoms of a dilute gas of 10(3) trapped Rydberg atoms with n=75 after about 0.5  μs, which is high enough to be detected in typical Rydberg gas experimental conditions.
authors: Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, F-34095 Montpellier, France and CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, F-34095 Montpellier, France and Institut Universitaire de France - 103, bd Saint-Michel, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Antezza
authors: Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá degli Studi di Padova, Via Francesco Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy and INFN, Sezione di Padova, Via Francesco Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Braggio
authors: Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá degli Studi di Padova, Via Francesco Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy and INFN, Sezione di Padova, Via Francesco Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Carugno
authors: Université Montpellier 2, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, F-34095 Montpellier, France and CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5221, F-34095 Montpellier, France and Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo and CNISM, Via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Noto
authors: Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo and CNISM, Via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Passante
authors: Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo and CNISM, Via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Rizzuto
authors: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Viale dell'Universitá 2, I-35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Ruoso
authors: Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo and CNISM, Via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Spagnolo