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（T1 mK）之间的相互作用进行了实验研究。里德伯原子之间的相干相互作用的研究对于量子计算、多体物理学、少数光子极限下的非线性光学以及其他依赖于强光-光相互作用的现象都很重要。这些实验的结果将与我们研究小组的理论进行比较。研究计划包括三个主要实验。首先，正在研究大二聚体（核间距大于1微米的分子）的相干激发。 里德伯原子宏观二聚体具有独特的性质，可用于探测量子气体在宏观距离和能量尺度范围内的相关性。 其次，将从实验和理论上研究极化电场中里德堡原子之间的各向异性偶极-偶极相互作用。这项工作将支持该提案中的其他实验以及冷里德伯气体中的其他工作，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，冷里德伯原子的相干相互作用和激发正在使用非线性光学技术进行研究。利用能量简并四波混频的时域和频域方法研究了低温里德伯气体中里德伯原子相互作用的相干性。该研究计划还使本科生谁通过高级顶点和NSF-REU计划在斯坦福大学参与。我们的研究小组已经成功地与本科生的研究参与证明了10个高级顶点项目和11个NSF-REU项目在过去的7年完成。为了帮助招募新学生参加该项目并教授从事该项目的学生，PI计划将与本研究相关的主题纳入夏季课程中的高级研究主题，他在过去5个夏季自愿教授教师，研究生和夏季本科研究生。这项工作也被用来扩大SEES，科学区（K-12）和教师研究经验（RET）与我们的部门材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC）相关的推广计划。

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).