Detection of single Rydberg excitations in mesoscopic ensembles

This paper discusses a method recently proposed by Schmidt et al. for detecting a single Rydberg excitation in mesoscopic atomic ensembles. The physical background of the problem is first introduced through Rydberg blockade and collective excitations. The main focus of this paper is a readout scheme based on Autler–Townes-induced optical pumping. In this approach, the presence of a Rydberg excitation is converted into a difference in the ground-state population of the surrounding ensemble, which can later be measured by fluorescence imaging. In comparison with detection schemes based on electromagnetically induced transparency, the method is more robust against probe detunings and line shifts. Its performance shows that a single Rydberg excitation can be reliably detected in mesoscopic ensembles.

Zaznava posameznih Rydbergovih vzbuditev v mezoskopskih ansamblih

Članek obravnava nedavno predlagano metodo za detekcijo posamezne Rydbergove vzbuditve v mezoskopskem atomskem ansamblu, ki so jo razvili Schmidt in sodelavci. Najprej je predstavljeno fizikalno ozadje metode, ki temelji na Rydbergovi blokadi in kolektivnih vzbuditvah. Osrednji del članka je posvečen detekcijski shemi, ki uporablja optično črpanje, nadzorovano z Autler–Townesovim razcepom atomskih energijskih nivojev. Pri tem se prisotnost Rydbergove vzbuditve preslika v spremembo zasedenosti drugega hiperfinega osnovnega stanja okoliškega ansambla, ki jo lahko izmerimo s fluorescenčnim slikanjem. V primerjavi z detekcijskimi shemami na osnovi elektromagnetno inducirane transparentnosti je metoda manj občutljiva na odmike frekvenc laserskih polj od resonančnih atomskih prehodov. Pokazano je, da je mogoče posamezno Rydbergovo vzbuditev zanesljivo zaznati v mezoskopskih atomskih ansamblih.