Abstract
This article presents recent experiments where cold atoms, excited to Rydberg states, interact with each other. It describes the basic properties of Rydberg atoms and their interactions, with the emphasis on the Rydberg blockade mechanism. The paper details a few experimental demonstrations using two individual atoms or atomic ensembles, as well as applications of this “toy many-body system” to quantum information processing using photons.
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Notes
- 1.
In fact, one has a coupling to the two degenerate states \(\vert np, (n - 1)p\rangle\) and \(\vert (n - 1)p,np\rangle\). This is easily taken into account and does not change the conclusions of the qualitative discussion given here.
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Browaeys, A., Lahaye, T. (2016). Interacting Cold Rydberg Atoms: A Toy Many-Body System. In: Darrigol, O., Duplantier, B., Raimond, JM., Rivasseau, V. (eds) Niels Bohr, 1913-2013. Progress in Mathematical Physics, vol 68. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14316-3_7
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