arXiv subjects

J. -M. Rost

Publications and source records attributed to J. -M. Rost.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

Rydberg Aggregates

We review Rydberg aggregates, assemblies of a few Rydberg atoms exhibiting energy transport through collective eigenstates, considering isolated atoms or assemblies embedded within clouds of cold ground-state atoms. We classify Rydberg aggregates, and provide an overview of their possible applications as quantum simulators for phenomena from chemical or biological physics. Our main focus is on flexible Rydberg aggregates, in which atomic motion is an essential feature. In these, simultaneous control over Rydberg-Rydberg interactions, external trapping and electronic energies, allows Born-Oppenheimer surfaces for the motion of the entire aggregate to be taylored as desired. This is illustrated with theory proposals towards the demonstration of joint motion and excitation transport, conical intersections and non-adiabatic effects. Additional flexibility for quantum simulations is enabled by the use of dressed dipole-dipole interactions or the embedding of the aggregate in a cold gas or BEC environment. Finally we provide some guidance regarding the parameter regimes that are most suitable for the realization of either static or flexible Rydberg aggregates based on Li or Rb atoms. The current status of experimental progress towards enabling Rydberg aggregates is also reviewed.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

On-chip quantum tomography of mechanical nano-scale oscillators with guided Rydberg atoms

Nano-mechanical oscillators as well as Rydberg-atomic waveguides hosted on micro-fabricated chip surfaces hold promise to become pillars of future quantum technologies. In a hybrid platform with both, we show that beams of Rydberg atoms in waveguides can quantum-coherently interrogate and manipulate nanomechanical elements, allowing full quantum state tomography. Central to the tomography are quantum non-demolition measurements using the Rydberg atoms as probes. Quantum coherent displacement of the oscillator is also made possible, by driving the atoms with external fields while they interact with the oscillator. We numerically demonstrate the feasibility of this fully integrated on-chip control and read-out suite for quantum nano-mechanics, taking into account noise and error sources.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Coupling of a nano mechanical oscillator and an atomic three-level medium

We theoretically investigate the coupling of an ultracold three-level atomic gas and a nano-mechanical mirror via classical electromagnetic radiation. The radiation pressure on the mirror is modulated by absorption of a probe light field, caused by the atoms which are electromagnetically rendered nearly transparent, allowing the gas to affect the mirror. In turn, the mirror can affect the gas as its vibrations generate opto-mechanical sidebands in the control field. We show that the sidebands cause modulations of the probe intensity at the mirror frequency, which can be enhanced near atomic resonances. Through the radiation pressure from the probe beam onto the mirror, this results in resonant driving of the mirror. Controllable by the two photon detuning, the phase relation of the driving to the mirror motion decides upon amplification or damping of mirror vibrations. This permits direct phase locking of laser amplitude modulations to the motion of a nano-mechanical element opening a perspective for cavity-free cooling through coupling to an atomic gas.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

An optically resolvable Schrödinger's cat from Rydberg dressed cold atom clouds

In Rydberg dressed ultra-cold gases, ground state atoms inherit properties of a weakly admixed Rydberg state, such as sensitivity to long-range interactions. We show that through hyperfine-state dependent interactions, a pair of atom clouds can evolve into a spin and subsequently into a spatial Schrödinger's cat state: The pair, containing 20 atoms in total, is in a coherent superposition of two configurations, with cloud locations separated by micrometers. The mesoscopic nature of the superposition state can be proven with absorption imaging, while the coherence can be revealed though recombination and interference of the split wave packets.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Dopant induced ignition of helium nanodroplets in intense few-cycle laser pulses

We demonstrate ultrafast resonant energy absorption of rare-gas doped He nanodroplets from intense few-cycle (~10 fs) laser pulses. We find that less than 10 dopant atoms "ignite" the droplet to generate a non-spherical electronic nanoplasma resulting ultimately in complete ionization and disintegration of all atoms, although the pristine He droplet is transparent for the laser intensities applied. Our calculations at those intensities reveal that the minimal pulse length required for ignition is about 9 fs.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2010

Newton's cradle and entanglement transport in a flexible Rydberg chain

In a regular, flexible chain of Rydberg atoms, a single electronic excitation localizes on two atoms that are in closer mutual proximity than all others. We show how the interplay between excitonic and atomic motion causes electronic excitation and diatomic proximity to propagate through the Rydberg chain as a combined pulse. In this manner entanglement is transferred adiabatically along the chain, reminiscent of momentum transfer in Newton's cradle.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2003

A Levinson theorem for scattering from a Bose-Einstein condensate

A relation between the number of bound collective excitations of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate and the phase shift of elastically scattered atoms is derived. Within the Bogoliubov model of a weakly interacting Bose gas this relation is exact and generalises Levinson's theorem. Specific features of the Bogoliubov model such as complex-energy and continuum bound states are discussed and a numerical example is given.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2003

Quasiclassical double photoionization from the 2^{1,3}S excited states of helium including shakeoff

We account for the different symmetries of the 2^{1,3}S helium excited states in a quasiclassical description of the knockout mechanism augmented by a quantum shakeoff contribution. We are thus able to formulate the separate contribution of the knockout and shakeoff mechanisms for double photoionization for any excess energy from the 2^{1,3}S states. Photoionization ratios and singly differential cross sections calculated for the 2^{1,3}S excited states of helium are found to be in very good agreement with recent theoretical results.

physics.atom-ph↗