Title: Probing Electronic Coherence in a Gas of Dipole-Dipole Coupled Rydberg Atoms

M.R. Kutteruf and R.R. Jones

Abstract:

We demonstrate a time-domain method to probe coherence in ensembles of cold Rb Rydberg atoms coupled via nearly resonant dipole-dipole interactions. Short laser pulses create coherent superpositions of few-body eigenstates which evolve under the influence of pulsed electric fields. The pulses coherently enhance the probability for finding atoms in np, rather than initially excited ns states. The persistence of the enhancement indicates coherence times exceeding 10us. Simulations suggest that atom motion is responsible for the eventual loss of coherence.

Status: Published Physical Review Letters 108, 013001 (2012).