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arXiv · 1709.03437

Reducing the sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to dc electric fields using two-frequency ac field dressing

Donald W. Booth·Joshua Isaacs·M. Saffman
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Abstract

We propose a method for reducing the sensitivity of atomic ground to Rydberg transitions to stray dc electric fields, using microwave-induced dressing of Rydberg states. Calculations are presented for the Cs $\state{90S}{1/2}$ and $\state{90P}{3/2}$ states. With zero dc bias electric field, a two-frequency ac field is used to simultaneously reduce the sensitivity of both states to dc field variations. The sensitivity reduction is a factor of 95 for the $\state{90S}{1/2}$ state and a factor of 1600 for the $\state{90P}{3/2}, m_J=3/2$ state. We also show how the two-frequency ac field can be used to cancel both second- and fourth-order terms in the polarizability of a single Rydberg state. These results are relevant to improving the stability of experiments that seek to excite Rydberg atoms in the proximity of charged surfaces.

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Donald W. Booth, Joshua Isaacs, M. Saffman. 2017-09-11. Reducing the sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to dc electric fields using two-frequency ac field dressing. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.97.012515

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