Millimeter-wave rubidium Rydberg van der Waals spectroscopy

Journal Article · Fri May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.79.053409· OSTI ID:21304707

Jianing, Han; Gallagher, T F ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-0714 (United States)

We have observed the diatomic nsns{yields}ns(n+1)s{yields}(n+1)s(n+1)s microwave transitions of pairs of cold Rb Rydberg atoms for 36<n<48. The ns(n+1)s state has by far the largest van der Waals shift due to its near degeneracy with the nearby np{sub 3/2}np{sub 3/2} state. In fact, the energy difference and the van der Waals shift change sign at n=38 and we observe shifts of both signs. The combined excitation of the ns(n+1)s and (n+1)s(n+1)s states leads to an unusual line shape which can be described by a three-level Floquet model.

• OSTI ID: 21304707
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 79, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.79.053409; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
EXCITATION
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MICROWAVE SPECTRA
RUBIDIUM
RYDBERG STATES
S STATES
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SPECTROSCOPY
VAN DER WAALS FORCES