Magnetic trapping of ultracold Rydberg atoms in low angular momentum states

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the quantum properties of nS, nP, and nD Rydberg atoms in a magnetic Ioffe-Pritchard trap. In particular, it is demonstrated that the two-body character of Rydberg atoms significantly alters the trapping properties opposed to point-like particles with identical magnetic moment. Approximate analytical expressions describing the resulting Rydberg trapping potentials are derived and their validity is confirmed for experimentally relevant field strengths by comparisons to numerical solutions of the underlying Schroedinger equation. In addition to the electronic properties, the center of mass dynamics of trapped Rydberg atoms is studied. In particular, we analyze the influence of a short-time Rydberg excitation, as required by certain quantum-information protocols, on the center of mass dynamics of trapped ground state atoms. A corresponding heating rate is derived and the implications for the purity of the density matrix of an encoded qubit are investigated.

arXiv comment13 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (13)

• Quantum information with Rydberg atoms
• Three-dimensional Roton-Excitations and Supersolid formation in Rydberg-excited Bose-Einstein Condensates
• Supersolid Vortex Crystals in Rydberg-dressed Bose-Einstein Condensates
• Magic-wavelength optical traps for Rydberg atoms
• Many-body Physics with Alkaline-Earth Rydberg lattices
• Rydberg Aggregates
• Spectra and ground states of one- and two-dimensional laser-driven lattices of ultracold Rydberg atoms
• Tuneable defect interactions and supersolidity in dipolar quantum gases on a lattice potential
• Trapping of Rydberg Atoms in Tight Magnetic Microtraps
• Dressing of Ultracold Atoms by their Rydberg States in a Ioffe-Pritchard Trap
• Spectral properties of finite laser-driven lattices of ultracold Rydberg atoms
• Guiding of Rydberg atoms in a high-gradient magnetic guide
• Interaction-induced stabilization of circular Rydberg atoms