Elmer Suarez, EKUT, (WP2)
EKUT will set up an experiment with cold Rydberg atoms in a high-finesse optical cavity. Excitation of Rydberg states will be achieved by a two-photon process, with one photon being provided by the cavity mode and the second photon by an additional coupling laser. Due to the Rydberg blockade, strong long-range dipolar interactions are generated within the cloud.
This effect will compete with the usual cavity backaction as known e.g. from CARL and dramatically change the collective scattering process. We will investigate this scattering process by monitoring the cavity transmission and the atomic momentum
distribution after the scattering process.
Objectives: 1. Preparation of ultracold atom cloud within high-finesse cavity. 2. Setup of coupling laser for Rydberg state preparation. 3. Realization of strong 2-photon coupling to Rydberg state. 4. Develop understanding of collective light scattering of Rydberg bubbles
in the cavity
Expected Results: 1. Observation of Rydberg spectrum of atoms within cavity. 2. Observation of vacuum Rabi splitting with Rydberg atoms. 3. Detection of signatures for collective action of Rydberg atoms in cavity. 4. Detection of influence of Rydberg state principal quantum number.
Planned secondments: 1. UWIS, 2. Toptica 3. USAAR