Editorial

3 pages, 172 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms

by Dong Yan and Jin-Hui Wu

Photonics 2023, 10(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10010088 - 13 Jan 2023

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Rydberg atoms with large electric dipole moments, strong dipole–dipole interactions, and long radiative lifetimes have attracted great attention and become the subject of intense studies in the past two decades [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

Research

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11 pages, 4038 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Two-Dimension Asymmetric Electromagnetically Induced Grating in Rydberg Atoms

by Binbin Wang, Dong Yan, Yimou Liu and Jinhui Wu

Photonics 2022, 9(10), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9100674 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1166

Abstract

We investigate the realization and manipulation of a two-dimension (2D), asymmetric, electromagnetically induced grating (EIG) in a sample of Rydberg atoms exhibiting the van der Waals (

v d W

) interactions. The scheme relies on the application of a strong control field [...] Read more.

We investigate the realization and manipulation of a two-dimension (2D), asymmetric, electromagnetically induced grating (EIG) in a sample of Rydberg atoms exhibiting the van der Waals (

v d W

) interactions. The scheme relies on the application of a strong control field and a weak probe field, with the former periodically modulated in a 2D plane and the latter incident perpendicular to the 2D plane. We find that the probe field can be diffracted into an asymmetric intensity distribution depending on the relevant modulation parameters of the control field, as well as the density and length of the atomic sample. In particular, higher-order diffraction intensities can be enhanced in different ways as the

v d W

interaction, modulation strength, or sample length is increased. It is also of interest that the asymmetric diffraction distribution can be shifted to different quadrants by choosing appropriate modulation phases of the control field. These results may be used to develop new photonic devices with asymmetric diffraction properties required in future all-optical networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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10 pages, 3992 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Experimental Realization of Reconfigurable Photonic Lattices in Coherent Rydberg Atomic Vapors

by Shun Liang, Qingsong Yu, Xing Lei, Shaohuan Ning, Changbiao Li, Yanpeng Zhang and Zhaoyang Zhang

Photonics 2022, 9(6), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9060422 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrated the formation of a one-dimensional electromagnetically induced optical lattice in coherently prepared three-level ⁸⁵Rb Rydberg atomic vapors with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The one-dimensional photonic lattice was optically induced by a coupling field with a spatially periodical intensity distribution [...] Read more.

We experimentally demonstrated the formation of a one-dimensional electromagnetically induced optical lattice in coherently prepared three-level ⁸⁵Rb Rydberg atomic vapors with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The one-dimensional photonic lattice was optically induced by a coupling field with a spatially periodical intensity distribution deriving from the interference of two strong Gaussian beams from the same laser source (~480 nm). Under the Rydberg-EIT condition, the incident weak probe beam can feel a tunable spatially modulated susceptibility, which is verified by the controllable discrete diffraction pattern observed at the output plane of the vapor cell. This investigation not only opens the door for experimentally introducing the strong interaction between Rydberg atoms to govern the beam dynamics in photonic lattices based on atomic coherence but also provides an easily accessible periodic environment for exploring Rydberg-atom physics and related applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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8 pages, 829 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Autoionization of Ultracold Cesium Rydberg Atom in 37D_5/2 State

by Yuechun Jiao, Liping Hao, Jiabei Fan, Jingxu Bai, Jianming Zhao and Suotang Jia

Photonics 2022, 9(5), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050352 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1831

Abstract

We present the observation of an autoionization of cesium

37 D_{5 / 2}

Rydberg atoms in ultracold gases and analyze the autoionization mechanism. The autoionization process is investigated by varying the delay time

t_{D}

and Rydberg atomic density. The dependence of [...] Read more.

We present the observation of an autoionization of cesium

37 D_{5 / 2}

Rydberg atoms in ultracold gases and analyze the autoionization mechanism. The autoionization process is investigated by varying the delay time

t_{D}

and Rydberg atomic density. The dependence of ionization signals on Rydberg density shows that the Rydberg density has an effect on not only the initial ion signals but also the evolution of the Rydberg atoms. The results reveal that the initial ionization of

37 D_{5 / 2}

Rydberg atoms is mostly attributed to the blackbody radiation (BBR)-induced photoionization, and the BBR-induced transitions to the nearby Rydberg states that lead to further ionization. Our work plays a significant role in investigating the collision between Rydberg atoms and many-body physics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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11 pages, 1311 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Angle-Dependent Magic Optical Trap for the 6S_1/2↔nP_3/2 Rydberg Transition of Cesium Atoms

by Jiandong Bai, Xin Wang, Xiaokai Hou, Wenyuan Liu and Junmin Wang

Photonics 2022, 9(5), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050303 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2435

Abstract

The existence of an anisotropic tensor part of atomic states with an angular momentum greater than 1/2 causes their dynamic polarizabilities to be very sensitive to the polarization direction of the laser field. Therefore, the magic wavelength of the transition between two atomic [...] Read more.

The existence of an anisotropic tensor part of atomic states with an angular momentum greater than 1/2 causes their dynamic polarizabilities to be very sensitive to the polarization direction of the laser field. Therefore, the magic wavelength of the transition between two atomic states also depends on the polarization angle between the quantized axis and the polarization vector. We perform a calculation of the magic conditions of the

{6 S}_{1 / 2} \leftrightarrow {n P}_{3 / 2}

(n = 50–90) Rydberg transition of cesium atoms by introducing an auxiliary electric diople transition connected to the target Rydberg state and a low-excited state. The magic condition is determined by the intersection of dynamic polarizabilities of the

{6 S}_{1 / 2}

ground state and the

{n P}_{3 / 2}

Rydberg state. The dynamic polarizability is calculated by using the sum-over-states method. Furthermore, we analyze the dependence of magic detuning on the polarization angle for a linearly polarized trapping laser and establish the relationship between magic detuning and a principal quantum number of the Rydberg state at the magic angle. The magic optical dipole trap can confine the ground-state and Rydberg-state atoms simultaneously, and the differential light shift in the

{6 S}_{1 / 2} \leftrightarrow {n P}_{3 / 2}

transition can be canceled under the magic condition. It is of great significance for the application of long-lifetime high-repetition-rate accurate manipulation of Rydberg atoms on high-fidelity entanglement and quantum logic gate operation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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6 pages, 1326 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Two-Dimensional Solitons in Bose–Einstein Condensates with Spin–Orbit Coupling and Rydberg–Rydberg Interaction

by Kewei Wang, Hui Jin, Yunbin Lei, Yuan Zhao, Kaiyu Huang and Siliu Xu

Photonics 2022, 9(5), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050283 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1448

Abstract

Applying an imaginary time evolution method (AITEM) to the system of Gross–Pitaevskii equations, we find two-dimensional stable solitons in binary atomic Bose–Einstein condensates with spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and the Rydberg–Rydberg interaction (RRI). The stability of 2D solitons by utilizing their norm and energy [...] Read more.

Applying an imaginary time evolution method (AITEM) to the system of Gross–Pitaevskii equations, we find two-dimensional stable solitons in binary atomic Bose–Einstein condensates with spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and the Rydberg–Rydberg interaction (RRI). The stability of 2D solitons by utilizing their norm and energy is discussed in detail. Depending on the SOC and Rydberg–Rydberg interaction, we find stable zero-vorticity and vortical solitons. Furthermore, we show that the solitons can be effectively tuned by the local and nonlocal nonlinearities of this system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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14 pages, 1778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensitivity Improvement and Determination of Rydberg Atom-Based Microwave Sensor

by Minghao Cai, Zishan Xu, Shuhang You and Hongping Liu

Photonics 2022, 9(4), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9040250 - 10 Apr 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5262

Abstract

We present a theoretical and experimental investigation of the improvement and determination of the sensitivity of Rydberg atom-based microwave RF sensor. An optical Bloch equation has been set up based on the configuration that two-color cascading lasers exciting atom to highly Rydberg state [...] Read more.

We present a theoretical and experimental investigation of the improvement and determination of the sensitivity of Rydberg atom-based microwave RF sensor. An optical Bloch equation has been set up based on the configuration that two-color cascading lasers exciting atom to highly Rydberg state and a microwave RF coupling this Rydberg state to its adjacent neighbor. The numerical simulation shows that the sensitivity of the atomic RF sensor is correlated with the amplitude strengths of the applied two lasers and the RF itself. It also depends on the frequency detuning of the coupling laser, which induces an asymmetrically optical splitting. The coupling laser frequency fixing at the shoulder of the stronger one is more favorable for a higher sensitivity. Accordingly, we perform an experimental demonstration for the optimization of all these parameters and the sensitivity is improved to 12.50(04)

{nVcm}^{- 1}

·Hz

^{- 1 / 2}

. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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14 pages, 1334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamical Collective Excitations and Entanglement of Two Strongly Correlated Rydberg Superatoms

by Dong Yan, Wenjie Bai, Jiannan Bai, Li Chen, Haiyan Han and Jinhui Wu

Photonics 2022, 9(4), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9040242 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1991

Abstract

Based on the dipole blockade effect and with the aid of the superatom (SA) model, we propose a scheme to investigate the correlated evolution of two Rydberg sub-superatoms (SSAs), formed by two spatially separated atomic Rydberg sub-ensembles but in the same blockade region. [...] Read more.

Based on the dipole blockade effect and with the aid of the superatom (SA) model, we propose a scheme to investigate the correlated evolution of two Rydberg sub-superatoms (SSAs), formed by two spatially separated atomic Rydberg sub-ensembles but in the same blockade region. Starting from the pure separable states, we investigate the in-phase or anti-phase correlated dynamics and explore how two Rydberg SSAs entangle with each other mediated by a single Rydberg excitation. Starting from the entangled states, we discuss the robustness of the system against decoherence induced by the dephasing rate. Our results show that both the correlated evolution of two Rydberg SSAs and their collective-state entanglement are usually sensitive to the number of each Rydberg SSA. This allows us to coherently manipulate the Rydberg ensemble over long distances from the single-quantum level to the mesoscopic level by changing the number of atoms. Furthermore, the method for dividing an SA into two SSAs and obtaining their spin operators without any approximation can be readily generalized to the case of many SSAs. It may have potential promising applications in quantum information processing and provide an attractive platform to study the quantum-classical correspondence, many-body physics and so on. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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17 pages, 3163 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hyperchaos in a Bose-Hubbard Chain with Rydberg-Dressed Interactions

by Gary McCormack, Rejish Nath and Weibin Li

Photonics 2021, 8(12), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8120554 - 05 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2388

Abstract

We study the chaos and hyperchaos of Rydberg-dressed Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Due to the long-range, soft-core interaction between the dressed atoms, the dynamics of the BECs are described by the extended Bose-Hubbard model. In the mean-field regime, we [...] Read more.

We study the chaos and hyperchaos of Rydberg-dressed Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Due to the long-range, soft-core interaction between the dressed atoms, the dynamics of the BECs are described by the extended Bose-Hubbard model. In the mean-field regime, we analyze the dynamical stability of the BEC by focusing on the ground state and localized state configurations. Lyapunov exponents of the two configurations are calculated by varying the soft-core interaction strength, potential bias, and length of the lattice. Both configurations can have multiple positive Lyapunov exponents, exhibiting hyperchaotic dynamics. We show the dependence of the number of the positive Lyapunov exponents and the largest Lyapunov exponent on the length of the optical lattice. The largest Lyapunov exponent is directly proportional to areas of phase space encompassed by the associated Poincaré sections. We demonstrate that linear and hysteresis quenches of the lattice potential and the dressed interaction lead to distinct dynamics due to the chaos and hyperchaos. Our work is relevant to current research on chaos as well as collective and emergent nonlinear dynamics of BECs with long-range interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)

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