IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v5y2014i1d10.1038_ncomms5546.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From molecular spectra to a density shift in dense Rydberg gases

Author

Listed:
  • A. Gaj

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

  • A. T. Krupp

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

  • J. B. Balewski

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

  • R. Löw

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

  • S. Hofferberth

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

  • T. Pfau

    (5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart)

Abstract

In Rydberg atoms, at least one electron is excited to a state with a high principal quantum number. In an ultracold environment, this low-energy electron can scatter off a ground state atom allowing for the formation of a Rydberg molecule consisting of one Rydberg atom and several ground state atoms. Here we investigate those Rydberg molecules created by photoassociation for the spherically symmetric S-states. A step by step increase of the principal quantum number up to n=111 enables us to go beyond the previously observed dimer and trimer states up to a molecule, where four ground state atoms are bound by one Rydberg atom. The increase of bound atoms and the decreasing binding potential per atom with principal quantum number results finally in an overlap of spectral lines. The associated density-dependent line broadening sets a fundamental limit, for example, for the optical thickness per blockade volume in Rydberg quantum optics experiments.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Gaj & A. T. Krupp & J. B. Balewski & R. Löw & S. Hofferberth & T. Pfau, 2014. "From molecular spectra to a density shift in dense Rydberg gases," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-5, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5546
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5546
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms5546
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms5546?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5546. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.