arXiv subjects

Christopher G. Wade

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher G. Wade.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

Terahertz-driven phase transition applied as a room-temperature terahertz detector

There are few demonstrated examples of phase transitions that may be driven directly by terahertz-frequency electric fields, and those that are known require field strengths exceeding 1 MVcm$^{-1}$. Here we report a room-temperature phase transition driven by a weak ($\ll 1$ Vcm$^{-1}$), continuous-wave terahertz electric field. The system consists of caesium vapour under continuous optical excitation to a high-lying Rydberg state, which is resonantly coupled to a nearby level by the terahertz electric field. We use a simple model to understand the underlying physical behaviour, and we demonstrate two protocols to exploit the phase transition as a narrowband terahertz detector: the first with a fast (20 $μ$s) nonlinear response to nano-Watts of incident radiation, and the second with a linearised response and effective noise equivalent power (NEP) $\leq 1$ pWHz$^{-1/2}$. The work opens the door to a new class of terahertz devices controlled with low field intensities and operating around room temperature.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Real-Time Near-Field Terahertz Imaging with Atomic Optical Fluorescence

Terahertz (THz) near-field imaging is a flourishing discipline [1], with applications from fundamental studies of beam propagation [2,3] to the characterisation of metameterials [4,5] and waveguides [6,7]. Beating the diffraction limit typically involves rastering structures or detectors with length scale shorter than the radiation wavelength; in the THz domain this has been achieved using a number of techniques including scattering tips [8,9] and apertures [10]. Alternatively, mapping THz fields onto an optical wavelength and imaging the visible light removes the requirement for scanning a local probe, speeding up image collection times [11,12]. Here we report THz to optical conversion using a gas of highly excited `Rydberg' atoms. By collecting THz-induced optical fluorescence we demonstrate a real-time image of a THz standing wave and we use well-known atomic properties to calibrate the THz field strength. The mono-atomic gas does not distort the THz field and offers the potential to immerse structures within the THz-to-optical conversion medium.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Intrinsic Optical Bistability in a Strongly-Driven Rydberg Ensemble

We observe and characterize intrinsic optical bistability in a dilute Rydberg vapor. The bistability is characterized by sharp jumps between states of low and high Rydberg occupancy with jump up and down positions displaying hysteresis depending on the direction in which the control parameter is changed. We find that the shift in frequency of the jump point scales with the fourth power of the principal quantum number. Also, the width of the hysteresis window increases with increasing principal quantum number, before reaching a peak and then closing again. The experimental results are consistent with predictions from a simple theoretical model based on semiclassical Maxwell-Bloch equations including the effect of broadening and frequency shifts. These results provide insight to the dynamics of driven dissipative systems.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Driven-dissipative many-body systems with mixed power-law interactions: Bistabilities and temperature-driven non-equilibrium phase transitions

We investigate the non-equilibrium dynamics of a driven-dissipative spin ensemble with competing power-law interactions. We demonstrate that dynamical phase transitions as well as bistabilities can emerge for asymptotic van der Waals interactions, but critically rely on the presence of a slower decaying potential-core. Upon introducing random particle motion, we show that a finite gas temperature can drive a phase transition with regards to the spin degree of freedom and eventually leads to mean-field behaviour in the high-temperature limit. Our work reconciles contrasting observations of recent experiments with Rydberg atoms in the cold-gas and hot-vapour domain, and introduces an efficient theoretical framework in the latter regime.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Observation of interference effects via four photon excitation of highly excited Rydberg states in thermal cesium vapor

We report on the observation of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and absorption (EIA) of highly excited Rydberg states in thermal Cs vapor using a four-step excitation scheme. The advantage of this four-step scheme is that the final transition to the Rydberg state has a large dipole moment and one can achieve similar Rabi frequencies to two- or three-step excitation schemes using two orders of magnitude less laser power. This scheme enables new applications such as dephasing free Rydberg excitation. The observed lineshapes are in good agreement with simulations based on multilevel optical Bloch equations.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Probing an excited-state atomic transition using hyperfine quantum beat spectroscopy

We describe a method to observe the dynamics of an excited-state transition in a room temperature atomic vapor using hyperfine quantum beats. Our experiment using cesium atoms consists of a pulsed excitation of the D2 transition, and continuous-wave driving of an excited-state transition from the 6P$_{3/2}$ state to the 7S$_{1/2}$ state. We observe quantum beats in the fluorescence from the 6P$_{3/2}$ state which are modified by the driving of the excited-state transition. The Fourier spectrum of the beat signal yields evidence of Autler-Townes splitting of the 6P$_{3/2}$, F = 5 hyperfine level and Rabi oscillations on the excited-state transition. A detailed model provides qualitative agreement with the data, giving insight to the physical processes involved.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Piezoelectrically-actuated time-averaged atomic microtraps

We present a scheme for creating tight and adiabatic time-averaged atom-traps through the piezoelectric actuation of nanomagnetic structures. We show that potentials formed by the circular translation of magnetic structures have several advantages over conventional rotating-field techniques, particularly for high trap frequencies. As the magnitude of the actuation is changed the trapping potential can be changed adiabatically between harmonic 3D confinement and a toroidal trap.

physics.atom-ph↗