TY - JOUR

T1 - Two-Photon Laser Excitation of Rb Rydberg Atoms in the Magneto-Optical Trap and Vapor Cell

AU - Tretyakov, Denis B.

AU - Entin, Vasily M.

AU - Beterov, Ilya I.

AU - Yakshina, Elena A.

AU - Pechersky, Yury Ya.

AU - Gol’dort, Veniamin G.

AU - Ryabtsev, Igor I.

N1 - This research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, grant number 23-12-00067, https://rscf.ru/project/23-12-00067/ (accessed on 15 May 2023).

PY - 2023/11

Y1 - 2023/11

N2 - We present our experimental results of two-photon laser excitation 5S1/2→5P3/2→nS1/2 of Rb atoms to Rydberg nS1/2 states with a homemade 480 nm laser in the second excitation step. In an experiment with cold Rb atoms, we excited the 42S1/2 state and detected Rydberg atoms with a selective-field-ionization (SFI) detector that provides single-atom resolution. The resonance line shapes well agreed with numerical simulations in a three-level theoretical model. We also studied the multiatom spectra of Rydberg excitation of mesoscopic atom ensembles which are of interest to quantum information processing. In the experiment with hot Rb atoms, we first excited the 30S1/2 state and observed a narrow Rydberg EIT resonance. Its line shape also agreed well with theory. Then, we performed a similar experiment with the higher 41S1/2 state and observed the Autler–Townes splitting of the EIT resonance in the presence of a microwave field, which was in resonance with the microwave transition 41S→41P3/2. This allowed us to measure the average strength of the microwave field and, thus, demonstrate the operation of a Rydberg microwave sensor. We may conclude that the developed homemade laser at 480 nm substantially extends our capabilities for further experiments on quantum information and quantum sensing with Rydberg atoms.

AB - We present our experimental results of two-photon laser excitation 5S1/2→5P3/2→nS1/2 of Rb atoms to Rydberg nS1/2 states with a homemade 480 nm laser in the second excitation step. In an experiment with cold Rb atoms, we excited the 42S1/2 state and detected Rydberg atoms with a selective-field-ionization (SFI) detector that provides single-atom resolution. The resonance line shapes well agreed with numerical simulations in a three-level theoretical model. We also studied the multiatom spectra of Rydberg excitation of mesoscopic atom ensembles which are of interest to quantum information processing. In the experiment with hot Rb atoms, we first excited the 30S1/2 state and observed a narrow Rydberg EIT resonance. Its line shape also agreed well with theory. Then, we performed a similar experiment with the higher 41S1/2 state and observed the Autler–Townes splitting of the EIT resonance in the presence of a microwave field, which was in resonance with the microwave transition 41S→41P3/2. This allowed us to measure the average strength of the microwave field and, thus, demonstrate the operation of a Rydberg microwave sensor. We may conclude that the developed homemade laser at 480 nm substantially extends our capabilities for further experiments on quantum information and quantum sensing with Rydberg atoms.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85178121979&origin=inward&txGid=7b4cc8919aaf1bf3c9b91e11e6de0e1f

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e6ab07cb-cb1e-3531-ac90-7535af304db2/

U2 - 10.3390/photonics10111201

DO - 10.3390/photonics10111201

M3 - Article

VL - 10

JO - Photonics

JF - Photonics

SN - 2304-6732

IS - 11

M1 - 1201

ER -