Interaction enhanced imaging of individual Rydberg atoms in dense gases

We propose a new all-optical method to image individual Rydberg atoms embedded within dense gases of ground state atoms. The scheme exploits interaction-induced shifts on highly polarizable excited states of probe atoms, which can be spatially resolved via an electromagnetically induced transparency...

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Main Authors: Günter, Georg (Author) , Robert-de-Saint-Vincent, Martin (Author) , Schempp, Hanna (Author) , Hofmann, Christoph S. (Author) , Whitlock, Shannon (Author) , Weidemüller, Matthias (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 5 January 2012
In: Physical review letters
Year: 2012, Volume: 108, Issue: 1
ISSN:1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.013002
Online Access:Verlag, Volltext: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.013002
Verlag, Volltext: https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.013002
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Author Notes:G. Günter, M. Robert-de-Saint-Vincent, H. Schempp, C. S. Hofmann, S. Whitlock, M. Weidemüller
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Summary:We propose a new all-optical method to image individual Rydberg atoms embedded within dense gases of ground state atoms. The scheme exploits interaction-induced shifts on highly polarizable excited states of probe atoms, which can be spatially resolved via an electromagnetically induced transparency resonance. Using a realistic model, we show that it is possible to image individual Rydberg atoms with enhanced sensitivity and high resolution despite photon-shot noise and atomic density fluctuations. This new imaging scheme could be extended to other impurities such as ions, and is ideally suited to equilibrium and dynamical studies of complex many-body phenomena involving strongly interacting particles. As an example we study blockade effects and correlations in the distribution of Rydberg atoms optically excited from a dense gas.
Item Description:Published 5 January 2012
Gesehen am 30.07.2018
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.013002