U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Cold Rydberg Atoms: At the Crossing of Atomic, Molecular, Solid State, and Plasma Physics

[0129020 . gallagher]这项为期三年的美法原子、分子和光学物理学合作奖分别由弗吉尼亚大学的Thomas Gallager、Pierre Pillet和法国奥赛Aime Cotton实验室的研究生参与。目标是使用冷里德伯气体作为几种不同实验的可控测试系统。冷里德伯原子模拟无定形固体，其性质可以通过小的调谐电场或改变里德伯态来操纵。该合作研究项目将共同探索冷里德伯原子样品中的这种现象，里德伯到等离子体的演化，以及冷冻里德伯气体中的偶极子-偶极子相互作用。解决的主要问题是：包含冷原子的超冷等离子体如何在明确定义的里德伯态中达到平衡？在量子逻辑门中，偶极-偶极相互作用的关键作用是什么？法国团队为此次合作带来了高分辨率激光光谱和冷原子操纵方面的专业知识。这与美国在操纵里德伯原子方面的专长相辅相成。该奖项代表了美国方面向美国国家科学基金会和法国国家科学研究中心（CNRS）联合提出的建议。美国国家科学基金会将支付美国研究人员和研究生的旅费和生活费。CNRS将支持法国研究人员和研究生访问美国。此次合作将促进对冷里德伯气体中原子-固体连接的基本理解，以及这种现象在等离子体和凝聚态物理中的应用。

0129020GallagherThis three-year award for U.S.-France collaboration in atomic, molecular and optical physics involves Thomas Gallager, Pierre Pillet and graduate students at the University of Virginia and the Laboratoire Aime Cotton in Orsay, France respectively. The goal is to use cold Rydberg gases as a controllable test system for several different kinds of experiments. Cold Rydberg atoms mimic an amorphous solid, the properties of which can be manipulated using small tuning electric fields or by changing the Rydberg state. This cooperative research program will explore collectively this phenomena in cold Rydberg atom samples, the Rydberg to plasma evolution, and dipole-dipole interactions in frozen Rydberg gases. The main questions addressed are: How does ultracold plasma containing cold atoms in a well-defined Rydberg state come to equilibrium? What key role do dipole-dipole interactions play in quantum logic gates? The French group brings to this collaboration expertise in high-resolution laser spectroscopy and cold atom manipulation. This is complemented by US expertise in manipulation of Rydberg atoms. This award represents the US side of joint proposals to the NSF and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses for the US investigator and graduate students. CNRS will support the visits of the French researchers and graduate students to the United States. The collaboration will advance fundamental understanding of the atomic-solid state connection in cold Rydberg gases and this phenomena's applications in plasma and condensed matter physics.