Electric Field Effects in the Excitation of Cold Rydberg-Atom Pairs

Journal Article · Fri May 29 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.213201· OSTI ID:21322822

Nascimento, V A; Caliri, L L; Marcassa, L G ^[1]; Schwettmann, A; Shaffer, J P ^[2]

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1. Instituto de Fisica de Sao Carlos, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970, Sao Carlos-SP (Brazil)
2. Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 W. Brooks Street, Norman, Oklahoma 73019 (United States)

In this work, we study the role of the ac Stark effects on the excitation of nS{sub 1/2} cold Rydberg atoms produced in a rubidium magneto-optical trap. We have observed an atomic population in the nP{sub 3/2} state after excitation of nS{sub 1/2} for 29{<=}n{<=}37. Such an observation is normally attributed to binary collisions; however, the interaction between Rb nS{sub 1/2} atoms is repulsive. To explain our results, the dipole-dipole interaction and ac Stark shifts from the excitation laser must be considered. We find that the Rydberg-atom-pair state asymptotically correlating to nP{sub 3/2}+(n-1)P{sub 3/2} is excited directly.

• OSTI ID: 21322822
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 102; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
DIPOLES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
EXCITATION
LASERS
RUBIDIUM
RYDBERG STATES