Department of Physics
Research, teaching and outreach in Physics at UW–Madison

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Wisconsin Quantum Institute
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Coherent Control of Processes that Break the Dipole Blockade
Date: Tuesday, February 1st
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place:
Speaker: Aaron Reinhard, Kenyon College
Abstract: The Rydberg excitation blockade has enabled impressive achievements in quantum information and simulation. However, unwanted processes may compromise the single-excitation behavior of the blockade and reduce its efficiency. We study one such process, state-mixing interactions. When ultracold atoms are excited to Rydberg states near Förster resonance, up to ∼ 50% of the detected atoms can be found in dipole-coupled product states within tens of ns of excitation. There has been disagreement in the literature regarding the mechanism by which this mixing occurs.

We use state-selective field ionization spectroscopy with single-event resolution to probe state mixing near the 43D5/2 Förster resonance in Rb. Our method allows us to control the mechanism by which state-mixing interactions occur during Rydberg excitation. Additionally, we use a rotary echo technique to demonstrate the coherence of the evolution of mixed three-particle states during our Rydberg excitation pulses. The ability to coherently control state-mixing events will allow experimenters to avoid this unwanted process when implementing quantum devices using neutral atoms.
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