0000000000033605
AUTHOR
I. I. Ryabtsev
Hyperfine interaction in the Autler-Townes effect: The formation of bright, dark, and chameleon states
This paper is devoted to clarifying the implications of hyperfine (HF) interaction in the formation of adiabatic (i.e., ``laser-dressed'') states and their expression in the Autler-Townes (AT) spectra. We first use the Morris-Shore model [J. R. Morris and B. W. Shore, Phys. Rev. A 27, 906 (1983)] to illustrate how bright and dark states are formed in a simple reference system where closely spaced energy levels are coupled to a single state with a strong laser field with the respective Rabi frequency ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{S}$. We then expand the simulations to realistic hyperfine level systems in Na atoms for a more general case when non-negligible HF interaction can be treated as…
Simple digital system for tuning and long-term frequency stabilization of a CW Ti:Sapphire laser
We have implemented a simple digital system for long-term frequency stabilization and locking to an arbitrary wavelength of the single-frequency ring CW Ti:Sapphire laser. This system is built using two confocal Fabry-Perot cavities, one of which is used to narrow the short-term linewidth of the laser and the other to improve the long-term stability of the laser frequency. The length of the second cavity is stabilized using the radiation from an external-cavity diode laser locked to an atomic transition. Our system is an improvement of a commercial Tekhnoscan laser lock. This system has been successfully used in our experiments on high-resolution laser spectroscopy of ultracold rubidium Ryd…
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium Rydberg atoms: II. Theory fornS,nP andnD states withn= 5–25
A stochastic model of associative ionization in collisions of Rydberg atoms with ground-state atoms is presented. The conventional Duman–Shmatov–Mihajlov–Janev (DSMJ) model treats the ionization as excitation of Rydberg electron to the continuum by the electric-dipole field generated by exchange interaction within the quasi-molecular ion. The stochastic model essentially extends this treatment by taking into account redistribution of population over a range of Rydberg states prior to ionization, which is caused by non-adiabatic processes in overlapping multiple level crossings of quasi-molecular Rydberg states. The redistribution is modelled as diffusion of electrons in the Rydberg energy s…
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium Rydberg atoms I. Experiment for nS and nD atoms with n=8-20
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium nS and nD Rydberg atoms with n=8-20 has been studied. The experiments were performed using a two-step pulsed laser excitation in an effusive atomic beam at atom density of about 2 10^{10} cm^{-3}. Molecular and atomic ions from associative, Penning, and thermal ionization processes were detected. It has been found that the atomic ions were created mainly due to photoionization of Rydberg atoms by photons of blackbody radiation at the ambient temperature of 300K. Blackbody ionization rates and effective lifetimes of Rydberg states of interest were determined. The molecular ions were found to be from associative ionization in Na(nL)+Na(3S) collisio…
<title>Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium Rydberg atoms in single and crossed atomic beams</title>
The results of the experimental and theoretical study on associative ionization of laser excited Na Rydberg atoms in collisions with ground-state atoms and on thermal ionization by blackbody radiation in single and crossed effusive atomic beams are reported and discussed.
Ionization of Rb and Na Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation
This work presents the results of the numerical calculations of (blackbody radiation) BBR-induced photoionization rates of Rb and Na Rydberg nS, nP and nD atoms with n = 8-65 at the ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K.
Controlling the interactions of a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms by radiofrequency-assisted F\"orster resonances
Long-range interactions between cold Rydberg atoms, which are used in many important applications, can be enhanced using F\"orster resonances between collective many-body states controlled by an external electric field. Here we report on the first experimental observation of highly-resolved radio-frequency-assisted F\"orster resonances in a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms. We also observed radio-frequency-induced F\"orster resonances which cannot be tuned by a dc electric field. They imply an efficient transition from van der Waals to resonant dipole-dipole interaction due to Floquet sidebands of Rydberg levels appearing in the rf-field. This method can be applied to enhance the interactions of a…
A simple digital system for tuning and long-term frequency stabilisation of a CW Ti:Sapphire laser
We have implemented a simple and cost-effective digital system for long-term frequency stabilisation and locking to an arbitrary wavelength of the single-frequency ring CW Ti:Sapphire laser. This system is built around two confocal Fabry-Perot cavities, one of which is used to narrow short-term line width of the laser and the other to improve long-term stability of the laser frequency. The second interferometer is also in the path of the radiation from an external-cavity diode laser stabilized to an atomic transition. Our system is an extension of a commercial Tekhnoscan laser lock. This system has been successfully used in experiments on high-resolution laser spectroscopy of ultracold Rydb…
Controlling the interactions of a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms by radiofrequency-assisted F��rster resonances
Long-range interactions between cold Rydberg atoms, which are used in many important applications, can be enhanced using F��rster resonances between collective many-body states controlled by an external electric field. Here we report on the first experimental observation of highly-resolved radio-frequency-assisted F��rster resonances in a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms. We also observed radio-frequency-induced F��rster resonances which cannot be tuned by a dc electric field. They imply an efficient transition from van der Waals to resonant dipole-dipole interaction due to Floquet sidebands of Rydberg levels appearing in the rf-field. This method can be applied to enhance the interactions of almo…
Ionization of Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation
We have studied an ionization of alkali-metal Rydberg atoms by blackbody radiation (BBR). The results of the theoretical calculations of ionization rates of Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs Rydberg atoms are presented. Calculations have been performed for nS, nP and nD states which are commonly used in a variety of experiments, at principal quantum numbers n=8-65 and at the three ambient temperatures of 77, 300 and 600 K. A peculiarity of our calculations is that we take into account the contributions of BBR-induced redistribution of population between Rydberg states prior to photoionization and field ionization by extraction electric field pulses. The obtained results show that these phenomena affect …
Line shapes and time dynamics of the F��rster resonances between two Rydberg atoms in a time-varying electric field
The observation of the Stark-tuned F\"orster resonances between Rydberg atoms excited by narrowband cw laser radiation requires usage of a Stark-switching technique in order to excite the atoms first in a fixed electric field and then to induce the interactions in a varied electric field, which is scanned across the F\"orster resonance. In our experiments with a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms we have found that the transients at the edges of the electric pulses strongly affect the line shapes of the F\"orster resonances, since the population transfer at the resonances occurs on a time scale of $\sim$100 ns, which is comparable with the duration of the transients. For example, a short-term ringin…
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium Rydberg atoms III. Experiment and theory fornS andnD states withn= 8–20 in crossed atomic beams
The results of experimental and theoretical studies of collisional ionization of Na Rydberg atoms in nS and nD(n = 8–20) states are presented. Molecular and atomic ions from associative ionization and photoionization by blackbody radiation were detected after pulsed laser excitation of Rydberg states in crossed Na atomic beams. An original method of determination of associative ionization rate constants based on the measurement of ratios of molecular and atomic ion signals was used, which did not require the determination of absolute number density of Rydberg atoms. The measured rate constants of associative ionization of Rydberg atoms in collisions with ground-state Na atoms are compared w…