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arXiv · 1209.1948

Observation and measurement of "giant" dispersive optical non-linearities in an ensemble of cold Rydberg atoms

Valentina Parigi·Erwan Bimbard·Jovica Stanojevic·Andrew J. Hilliard·Florence Nogrette·Rosa Tualle-Brouri·Alexei Ourjoumtsev·Philippe Grangier
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Abstract

We observe and measure dispersive optical non-linearities in an ensemble of cold Rydberg atoms placed inside an optical cavity. The experimental results are in agreement with a simple model where the optical non-linearities are due to the progressive appearance of a Rydberg blockaded volume within the medium. The measurements allow a direct estimation of the "blockaded fraction" of atoms within the atomic ensemble.

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Valentina Parigi, Erwan Bimbard, Jovica Stanojevic, Andrew J. Hilliard, Florence Nogrette, Rosa Tualle-Brouri, Alexei Ourjoumtsev, Philippe Grangier. 2012-09-11. Observation and measurement of "giant" dispersive optical non-linearities in an ensemble of cold Rydberg atoms. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.233602

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