Cold Rydberg atoms in optical traps: probing the electric field of individual quantum objects

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The quest for understanding and controlling the interaction of individual quantum objects is one of the most challenging in modern physics. Recent years have seen a rapid growth of interest in how to engineer interactions between ultra-coldatoms and ions due to a range of possible new applications, particularly in the fields of quantum information, many-body systems and cold chemistry.Ultra-cold Rydberg atoms offer a unique experimental tool to study and control interactions amongst atomic systems since they appear to be frozen , moving negligibly during the time scale of experimental interest. In a cloud of ultracoldRydberg atoms, the dynamics are then determined by Rydberg-Rydberg interactions only. These interactions can be easily tuned, by controlling the electronic state (principal quantum number), external electric fields or even the interatomic distance.In this project, novel experiments will be performed which are oriented towards studying the interactions of small clouds of atoms stored in micrometer-sized dipole traps, when a controllable number of atoms (one or more) in each cloudare excited to a Rydberg state. Exploiting the high sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to electric fields, the ultimate goal is to use a single excited atom in an optical trap to probe the electric field of another Rydberg atom or arrays of Rydbergatoms.