Interactions in Cold Rydberg Gases

利用独特的碰撞成像光谱仪和非线性光学技术，对冷里德伯原子（T1mK）之间的相互作用进行了实验研究。里德伯原子间相干相互作用的研究对于量子计算、多体物理、少数光子极限下的非线性光学以及其他依赖强光-光相互作用的现象具有重要意义。这些实验的结果将与我们课题组所做的理论进行比较。研究计划包括三个主要实验。首先，研究了核间距大于1微米的大二聚体的相干激发。里德伯原子大二聚体具有独特的性质，可用于在宏观距离和能量尺度的大范围内探测量子气体中的相关性。其次，对极化电场中里德伯原子间的各向异性偶极-偶极相互作用进行实验和理论研究。这项工作将支持提案中的其他实验，以及其他关于冷里德伯气体的工作，包括量子计算、超冷等离子体、碰撞、里德伯物质和多体现象。最后，用非线性光学技术研究了冷里德伯原子的相干相互作用和激发。在时域和频域的能量简并四波混频可以探测冷里德伯气体中里德伯原子相互作用的相干性。该项目资助2名研究生。该研究项目还允许参加OU高级顶点和NSF-REU项目的本科生。在过去的7年中，我们的研究小组成功地参与了本科生的研究，完成了10个高级顶点项目和11个NSF-REU项目。为了帮助该项目招募新学生并教授参与该项目的学生，PI计划将与该研究相关的主题纳入他在过去5个夏季自愿教授给教师、研究生和暑期本科生的高级研究主题的暑期课程中。这项工作也被用于扩展与我们部门材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC）相关的see，科学区（K-12）和教师研究经验（RET）外展计划。

The interactions between cold Rydberg atoms (T1mK) are being studied experimentally using a unique collision imaging spectrometer and nonlinear optical techniques. The study of coherent interactions between Rydberg atoms is important for quantum computing, many-body physics, nonlinear optics at the few photon limit, and other phenomena that rely on strong light-light interactions. The results of these experiments will be compared to theory done by our research group. The research program consists of 3 principal experiments. First, the coherent excitation of macrodimers, molecules with internuclear separations greater than 1 micron, is being investigated. Rydberg atom macrodimers have unique properties that can be used to probe correlations in quantum gases over a broad range of macroscopic distances and energy scales. Second, anisotropic dipole-dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms in a polarizing electric field will be studied experimentally and theoretically. This work will support the other experiments in the proposal as well as other work in cold Rydberg gases including that on quantum computation, ultracold plasmas, collisions, Rydberg matter, and many-body phenomena. Finally, coherent interactions and excitation of cold Rydberg atoms are being investigated using nonlinear optical techniques. Energy degenerate 4-wave mixing in the time and frequency domains can probe the coherence of Rydberg atom interactions in a cold Rydberg gas.The project supports 2 graduate students. The research program also enables undergraduate students who participate through the senior capstone and the NSF-REU programs at OU. Our research group has been successful with undergraduate research participation as demonstrated by the completion of 10 senior capstone projects and 11 NSF-REU projects over the last 7 years. To help recruit new students to the project and teach the students working on the project, the PI plans to include topics relevant to this research in the summer course in advanced research topics that he has taught the last 5 summers on a voluntary basis to faculty, graduate students and summer undergraduate research students. The work is also be used to expand the SEES, Science Zone (K-12), and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) outreach programs associated with our departments Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).