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Bai J, Jiao Y, Song R, Li Z, Zhao J, Jia S. Dissociation of ultracold cesium Rydberg-ground molecules. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:194302. [PMID: 37966003 DOI: 10.1063/5.0175109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the experimental measurements of the decay rate of polar cesium nD5/2 - 6S1/2 Rydberg-ground molecules with a large principal quantum number range of 35 ≤ n ≤ 40. Rydberg molecules are prepared employing the method of two-photon photoassociation and the molecular (atomic) ions, due to autoionization (blackbody photoionization), are detected with a microchannel plate detector. The decay rate Γ of the vibrational ground state of the deep and shadow bound molecules for triplet (TΣ) and mixed singlet-triplet (S,TΣ) are measured by fitting the molecular population with the exponential function. Comparing with the parent atom, the decay rate of the polar Rydberg-ground molecule shows an obvious increase with a magnitude of a few μs. The possible dissociation mechanism of polar Rydberg-ground molecules including a collisional decay, blackbody induced decay, and coupling of adjacent Rydberg states and tunneling decay are discussed in detail. The theoretical model is induced to simulate the measurements, showing agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuechun Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenhua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
| | - Suotang Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People's Republic of China
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2
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Peper M, Deiglmayr J. Heteronuclear Long-Range Rydberg Molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:013001. [PMID: 33480774 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.013001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present the formation of homonuclear Cs_{2}, K_{2}, and heteronuclear CsK long-range Rydberg molecules in a dual-species magneto-optical trap for ^{39}K and ^{133}Cs by one-photon UV photoassociation. The different ground-state-density dependence of homo- and heteronuclear photoassociation rates and the detection of stable molecular ions resulting from autoionization provide an unambiguous assignment. We perform bound-bound millimeter-wave spectroscopy of long-range Rydberg molecules to access molecular states not accessible by one-photon photoassociation. Calculations based on the most recent theoretical model and atomic parameters do not reproduce the full set of data from homo- and heteronuclear long-range Rydberg molecules consistently. This shows that photoassociation and millimeter-wave spectroscopy of heteronuclear long-range Rydberg molecules provide a benchmark for the development of theoretical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Peper
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Deiglmayr
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Physics and Geoscience, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Bai S, Han X, Bai J, Jiao Y, Wang H, Zhao J, Jia S. Observation of photoassociation spectroscopy of ultralong 37D 5/2 + 6S 1/2Cs 2 Rydberg molecules. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:084302. [PMID: 32113370 DOI: 10.1063/1.5132993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
We present an experimental observation of 37D5/2 + 6S1/2Cs2 Rydberg-ground molecules by employing a two-photon photoassociation method. Two distinct Rydberg-ground molecular signals, deep and shallow bound molecules, are observed at the red detuning of atomic line. In theory, the model of scattering interaction between the Rydberg electron and ground-state atom is used to simulate the experiments. Two potential energy curves with energy minimum, deep pure triplet 3Σ and shallow hyperfine-mixed singlet-triplet 1,3Σ potentials, refer to the attained Rydberg-ground molecular signals, respectively. Calculations of the binding energy of triplet 3Σ and mixed 1,3Σv = 0 states are compared with the measurements. The agreement between the calculated and measured values of the binding energy yields zero-energy scattering lengths as T(0) = -19.2a0 and as S(0) = -1.3a0, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suying Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Jingxu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yuechun Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Jianming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Suotang Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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4
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Whalen JD, Ding R, Kanungo SK, Killian TC, Yoshida S, Burgdörfer J, Dunning FB. Formation of ultralong-range fermionic Rydberg molecules in 87Sr: role of quantum statistics. Mol Phys 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2019.1575485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. D. Whalen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R. Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S. K. Kanungo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - T. C. Killian
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S. Yoshida
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - J. Burgdörfer
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - F. B. Dunning
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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5
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Dunning FB, Buathong S. Collisions of Rydberg atoms with neutral targets. INT REV PHYS CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/0144235x.2018.1512201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. B. Dunning
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S. Buathong
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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6
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Shaffer JP, Rittenhouse ST, Sadeghpour HR. Ultracold Rydberg molecules. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1965. [PMID: 29773795 PMCID: PMC5958105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04135-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultracold molecules formed from association of a single Rydberg atom with surrounding atoms or molecules and those from double Rydberg excitations are discussed in this review. Ultralong-range Rydberg molecules possess a novel molecular bond resulting from scattering of the Rydberg electron from the perturber atoms or molecules. The strong interactions between Rydberg atoms in ultracold gases may lead to formation of macroscopic Rydberg macrodimers. The exquisite control over the properties of the Rydberg electron means that interesting and unusual few-body and quantum many-body features can be realized in such systems. Rydberg molecules have been extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. Here the authors review the recent developments in the study of various types of Rydberg molecules and their potential for future applications in spectroscopy, sensing and quantum information.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Shaffer
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Oklahoma, 440 W Brooks Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
| | - S T Rittenhouse
- Department of Physics, The United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 21402, USA
| | - H R Sadeghpour
- ITAMP, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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7
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Schmid T, Veit C, Zuber N, Löw R, Pfau T, Tarana M, Tomza M. Rydberg Molecules for Ion-Atom Scattering in the Ultracold Regime. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:153401. [PMID: 29756888 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.153401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We propose a novel experimental method to extend the investigation of ion-atom collisions from the so far studied cold, essentially classical regime to the ultracold, quantum regime. The key aspect of this method is the use of Rydberg molecules to initialize the ultracold ion-atom scattering event. We exemplify the proposed method with the lithium ion-atom system, for which we present simulations of how the initial Rydberg molecule wave function, freed by photoionization, evolves in the presence of the ion-atom scattering potential. We predict bounds for the ion-atom scattering length from ab initio calculations of the interaction potential. We demonstrate that, in the predicted bounds, the scattering length can be experimentally determined from the velocity of the scattered wave packet in the case of ^{6}Li^{+}-^{6}Li and from the molecular ion fraction in the case of ^{7}Li^{+}-^{7}Li. The proposed method to utilize Rydberg molecules for ultracold ion-atom scattering, here particularized for the lithium ion-atom system, is readily applicable to other ion-atom systems as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Schmid
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - C Veit
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - N Zuber
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - R Löw
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - T Pfau
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - M Tarana
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the ASCR, v.v.i., Dolejškova 2155/3, 182 23 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - M Tomza
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Luukko PJJ, Rost JM. Polyatomic Trilobite Rydberg Molecules in a Dense Random Gas. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 119:203001. [PMID: 29219369 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.203001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Trilobites are exotic giant dimers with enormous dipole moments. They consist of a Rydberg atom and a distant ground-state atom bound together by short-range electron-neutral attraction. We show that highly polar, polyatomic trilobite states unexpectedly persist and thrive in a dense ultracold gas of randomly positioned atoms. This is caused by perturbation-induced quantum scarring and the localization of electron density on randomly occurring atom clusters. At certain densities these states also mix with an s state, overcoming selection rules that hinder the photoassociation of ordinary trilobites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perttu J J Luukko
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan-Michael Rost
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
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9
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Niederprüm T, Thomas O, Eichert T, Lippe C, Pérez-Ríos J, Greene CH, Ott H. Observation of pendular butterfly Rydberg molecules. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12820. [PMID: 27703143 PMCID: PMC5059458 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering molecules with a tunable bond length and defined quantum states lies at the heart of quantum chemistry. The unconventional binding mechanism of Rydberg molecules makes them a promising candidate to implement such tunable molecules. A very peculiar type of Rydberg molecules are the so-called butterfly molecules, which are bound by a shape resonance in the electron-perturber scattering. Here we report the observation of these exotic molecules and employ their exceptional properties to engineer their bond length, vibrational state, angular momentum and orientation in a small electric field. Combining the variable bond length with their giant dipole moment of several hundred Debye, we observe counter-intuitive molecules which locate the average electron position beyond the internuclear distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Niederprüm
- Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Oliver Thomas
- Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Graduate School Materials Science in Mainz, Staudinger Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanita Eichert
- Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Carsten Lippe
- Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jesús Pérez-Ríos
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Chris H. Greene
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Herwig Ott
- Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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10
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Rakić M, Beuc R, Bouloufa-Maafa N, Dulieu O, Vexiau R, Pichler G, Skenderović H. Satellite bands of the RbCs molecule in the range of highly excited states. J Chem Phys 2016; 144:204310. [PMID: 27250309 DOI: 10.1063/1.4952758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on the observation of three RbCs satellite bands in the blue and green ranges of the visible spectrum. Absorption measurements are performed using all-sapphire cell filled with a mixture of Rb and Cs. We compare high resolution absorption spectrum of Rb-Cs vapor mixture with pure Rb and Cs vapor spectra from the literature. After detailed analysis, the new satellite bands of RbCs molecule at 418.3 nm, 468.3, and 527.5 nm are identified. The origin of these bands is discussed by direct comparison with difference potentials derived from quantum chemistry calculations of RbCs potential energy curves. These bands originate from the lower Rydberg states of the RbCs molecule. This study thus provides further insight into photoassociation of lower Rydberg molecular states, approximately between Cs(7s) + Rb(5s) and Cs(6s) + Rb(6p) asymptotes, in ultracold gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Rakić
- Institute of Physics, Bijenička cesta 46, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Robert Beuc
- Institute of Physics, Bijenička cesta 46, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Nadia Bouloufa-Maafa
- Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Cachan, Université Paris-Saclay, Bât. 505, Campus d'Orsay, Orsay Cedex 91405, France
| | - Olivier Dulieu
- Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Cachan, Université Paris-Saclay, Bât. 505, Campus d'Orsay, Orsay Cedex 91405, France
| | - Romain Vexiau
- Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Cachan, Université Paris-Saclay, Bât. 505, Campus d'Orsay, Orsay Cedex 91405, France
| | - Goran Pichler
- Physics Department, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, Safat-13060, Kuwait
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11
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Schlagmüller M, Liebisch TC, Nguyen H, Lochead G, Engel F, Böttcher F, Westphal KM, Kleinbach KS, Löw R, Hofferberth S, Pfau T, Pérez-Ríos J, Greene CH. Probing an Electron Scattering Resonance using Rydberg Molecules within a Dense and Ultracold Gas. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 116:053001. [PMID: 26894707 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.116.053001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We present spectroscopy of a single Rydberg atom excited within a Bose-Einstein condensate. We not only observe the density shift as discovered by Amaldi and Segrè in 1934, but a line shape that changes with the principal quantum number n. The line broadening depends precisely on the interaction potential energy curves of the Rydberg electron with the neutral atom perturbers. In particular, we show the relevance of the triplet p-wave shape resonance in the e^{-}-Rb(5S) scattering, which significantly modifies the interaction potential. With a peak density of 5.5×10^{14} cm^{-3}, and therefore an interparticle spacing of 1300 a_{0} within a Bose-Einstein condensate, the potential energy curves can be probed at these Rydberg ion-neutral atom separations. We present a simple microscopic model for the spectroscopic line shape by treating the atoms overlapped with the Rydberg orbit as zero-velocity, uncorrelated, pointlike particles, with binding energies associated with their ion-neutral separation, and good agreement is found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schlagmüller
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tara Cubel Liebisch
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Huan Nguyen
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Graham Lochead
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Felix Engel
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Fabian Böttcher
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Karl M Westphal
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Kathrin S Kleinbach
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Robert Löw
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hofferberth
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tilman Pfau
- 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jesús Pérez-Ríos
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, 47907 West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Chris H Greene
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, 47907 West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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12
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Booth D, Rittenhouse ST, Yang J, Sadeghpour HR, Shaffer JP. Molecular physics. Production of trilobite Rydberg molecule dimers with kilo-Debye permanent electric dipole moments. Science 2015; 348:99-102. [PMID: 25838380 DOI: 10.1126/science.1260722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Permanent electric dipole moments are important for understanding symmetry breaking in molecular physics, control of chemical reactions, and realization of strongly correlated many-body quantum systems. However, large molecular permanent electric dipole moments are challenging to realize experimentally. We report the observation of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules with bond lengths of ~100 nanometers and kilo-Debye permanent electric dipole moments that form when an ultracold ground-state cesium (Cs) atom becomes bound within the electronic cloud of an extended Cs electronic orbit. The electronic character of this hybrid class of "trilobite" molecules is dominated by degenerate Rydberg manifolds, making them difficult to produce by conventional photoassociation. We used detailed coupled-channel calculations to reproduce their properties quantitatively. Our findings may lead to progress in ultracold chemistry and strongly correlated many-body physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Booth
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - S T Rittenhouse
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - J Yang
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - H R Sadeghpour
- ITAMP, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - J P Shaffer
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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13
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Saßmannshausen H, Merkt F, Deiglmayr J. Experimental characterization of singlet scattering channels in long-range Rydberg molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 114:133201. [PMID: 25884124 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.133201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We observe the formation of long-range Cs2 Rydberg molecules consisting of a Rydberg and a ground-state atom by photoassociation spectroscopy in an ultracold Cs gas near 6s1/2(F=3,4)→np3/2 resonances (n=26-34). The spectra reveal two types of molecular states recently predicted by D. A. Anderson, S. A. Miller, and G. Raithel [Phys. Rev. A 90, 062518 (2014)]: states bound purely by triplet s-wave scattering with binding energies ranging from 400 MHz at n=26 to 80 MHz at n=34, and states bound by mixed singlet-triplet s-wave scattering with smaller and F-dependent binding energies. The experimental observations are accounted for by an effective Hamiltonian including s-wave scattering pseudopotentials, the hyperfine interaction of the ground-state atom, and the spin-orbit interaction of the Rydberg atom. The analysis enables the characterization of the role of singlet scattering in the formation of long-range Rydberg molecules and the determination of an effective singlet s-wave scattering length for low-energy-electron-Cs collisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frédéric Merkt
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Deiglmayr
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Buathong S, Kelley M, Wang C, Dunning F. Probing dissociative electron attachment through formation of heavy-Rydberg ion pair states in Rydberg atom collisions. Chem Phys Lett 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2014.10.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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From molecular spectra to a density shift in dense Rydberg gases. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4546. [PMID: 25082599 PMCID: PMC4143935 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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. Ultracold Rydberg atoms — atoms with highly excited electrons — can form molecules with ground state atoms. By tuning the principal quantum number of the Rydberg state, Gaj et al. study the transition from resolvable molecular lines to the mean shift regime, where indistinguishable lines form a band.
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16
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Wang CH, Kelley M, Buathong S, Dunning FB. Dynamics of heavy-Rydberg ion-pair formation in K(14p,20p)-SF6, CCl4 collisions. J Chem Phys 2014; 140:234306. [PMID: 24952540 DOI: 10.1063/1.4882659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of formation of heavy-Rydberg ion-pair states through electron transfer in K(np)-SF6, CCl4 collisions is examined by measuring the velocity, angular, and binding energy distributions of the product ion pairs. The results are analyzed with the aid of a Monte Carlo collision code that models both the initial electron capture and the subsequent evolution of the ion pairs. The model simulations are in good agreement with the experimental data and highlight the factors such as Rydberg atom size, the kinetic energy of relative motion of the Rydberg atom and target particle, and (in the case of attaching targets that dissociate) the energetics of dissociation that can be used to control the properties of the product ion-pair states.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Wang
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, MS-61, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - M Kelley
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, MS-61, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - S Buathong
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, MS-61, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - F B Dunning
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, MS-61, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Anderson DA, Miller SA, Raithel G. Photoassociation of long-range nD Rydberg molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 112:163201. [PMID: 24815648 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.163201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We observe long-range homonuclear diatomic nD Rydberg molecules photoassociated out of an ultracold gas of Rb87 atoms for 34≤n≤40. The measured ground-state binding energies of Rb87(nD+5S1/2) molecular states are larger than those of their Rb87(nS+5S1/2) counterparts, which shows the dependence of the molecular bond on the angular momentum of the Rydberg atom. We exhibit the transition of Rb87(nD+5S1/2) molecules from a molecular-binding-dominant regime at low n to a fine-structure-dominant regime at high n [akin to Hund's cases (a) and (c), respectively]. In the analysis, the fine structure of the nD Rydberg atom and the hyperfine structure of the 5S1/2 atom are included.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Anderson
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - S A Miller
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - G Raithel
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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18
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Krupp AT, Gaj A, Balewski JB, Ilzhöfer P, Hofferberth S, Löw R, Pfau T, Kurz M, Schmelcher P. Alignment of D-state Rydberg molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 112:143008. [PMID: 24765956 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.143008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We report on the formation of ultralong-range Rydberg D-state molecules via photoassociation in an ultracold cloud of rubidium atoms. By applying a magnetic offset field on the order of 10 G and high resolution spectroscopy, we are able to resolve individual rovibrational molecular states. A full theory, using a Fermi pseudopotential approach including s- and p-wave scattering terms, reproduces the measured binding energies. The calculated molecular wave functions show that in the experiment we can selectively excite stationary molecular states with an extraordinary degree of alignment or antialignment with respect to the magnetic field axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Krupp
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - A Gaj
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - J B Balewski
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - P Ilzhöfer
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - S Hofferberth
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - R Löw
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - T Pfau
- 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - M Kurz
- Zentrum für Optische Quantentechnologien, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany and The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - P Schmelcher
- Zentrum für Optische Quantentechnologien, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany and The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
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