Observation of Rydberg Blockade Induced by a Single Ion
| Autor: | Thomas Schmid, Tilman Pfau, C. Veit, C. Tomschitz, Thomas Dieterle, N. Zuber, Robert Löw, Felix Engel, Florian Meinert |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Condensed Matter::Quantum Gases
Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) General Physics and Astronomy FOS: Physical sciences Photoionization 01 natural sciences 010305 fluids & plasmas Ion Physics - Atomic Physics symbols.namesake Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) Electric field Excited state 0103 physical sciences Rydberg atom Principal quantum number Rydberg formula symbols Physics::Atomic Physics Atomic physics 010306 general physics Condensed Matter - Quantum Gases Excitation |
| Popis: | We study the long-range interaction of a single ion with a highly excited ultracold Rydberg atom and report on the direct observation of ion-induced Rydberg excitation blockade mediated over tens of micrometer distances. Our hybrid ion-atom system is directly produced from an ultracold atomic ensemble via near-threshold photo-ionization of a single Rydberg excitation, employing a two-photon scheme which is specifically suited for generating a very low-energy ion. The ion's motion is precisely controlled by small electric fields, which allows us to analyze the blockade mechanism for a range of principal quantum numbers. Finally, we explore the capability of the ion as a high-sensitivity single-atom-based electric field sensor. The observed ion - Rydberg-atom interaction is of current interest for entanglement generation or studies of ultracold chemistry in hybrid ion-atom systems. 7 pages, 7 figures |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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