Berlin 2014 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 32: Poster: Quantum gases, ultracold atoms and molecules

Q 32.76: Poster

Mittwoch, 19. März 2014, 16:30–18:30, Spree-Palais

Towards imaging of single Rydberg Atoms — •Vladislav Gavryusev, Georg Günter, Hanna Schempp, Martin Robert-de Saint-Vincent, Stephan Helmrich, Christoph S. Hofmann, Miguel Ferreira-Cao, Shannon Whitlock, and Matthias Weidemüller — Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Electronically highly excited (Rydberg) atoms constitute a system with long range interactions which allows to study many intriguing phenomena, ranging from quantum non-linear optics to dipole-mediated energy transport.

We demonstrate optical imaging of Rydberg atoms using the interaction enhanced imaging technique[1], which allows to follow spatially the evolution of the system. This method exploits interaction-induced shifts on highly polarizable excited states of probe atoms, that can be spatially resolved via an electromagnetically induced transparency resonance. With this novel tool we observe the migration of Rydberg electronic excitations, driven by quantum-state changing interactions similar to Förster processes found in complex molecules. We find that the many-body dynamics of the energy transport is influenced by the environment, controlled through the laser parameters[2]. After having improved the optical resolution and CCD detector, we are progressing towards the observation of individual Rydberg atoms which would allow to resolve the spatial and temporal dynamics of the system.

[1] G. Günter et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 013002 (2012)

[2] G. Günter et al., Science 342, 954 (2013)