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arXiv · 2311.15575

Strong Spin-Motion Coupling in the Ultrafast Dynamics of Rydberg Atoms

Vineet Bharti·Seiji Sugawa·Masaya Kunimi·Vikas Singh Chauhan·Tirumalasetty Panduranga Mahesh·Michiteru Mizoguchi·Takuya Matsubara·Takafumi Tomita·Sylvain de Léséleuc·Kenji Ohmori
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Abstract

Rydberg atoms in optical lattices and tweezers is now a well established platform for simulating quantum spin systems. However, the role of the atoms' spatial wavefunction has not been examined in detail experimentally. Here, we show a strong spin-motion coupling emerging from the large variation of the interaction potential over the wavefunction spread. We observe its clear signature on the ultrafast many-body nanosecond-dynamics of atoms excited to a Rydberg $S$ state, using picosecond pulses, from an unity-filling atomic Mott-insulator. We also propose a novel approach to tune arbitrarily the strength of the spin-motion coupling relative to the motional energy scale set by trapping potentials. Our work provides a new direction for exploring the dynamics of strongly-correlated quantum systems by adding the motional degree of freedom to the Rydberg simulation toolbox.

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physics.atom-phcond-mat.quant-gasquant-ph

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Vineet Bharti, Seiji Sugawa, Masaya Kunimi, Vikas Singh Chauhan, Tirumalasetty Panduranga Mahesh, Michiteru Mizoguchi, Takuya Matsubara, Takafumi Tomita, Sylvain de Léséleuc, Kenji Ohmori. 2023-11-27. Strong Spin-Motion Coupling in the Ultrafast Dynamics of Rydberg Atoms. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.133.093405

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