Observation of Rydberg-atom macrodimers: micrometer-sized diatomic molecules

Abstract

Long-range metastable molecules consisting of two cesium atoms in high Rydberg states have been observed in an ultracold gas. A sequential three-photon two-color photoassociation scheme was employed to form these molecules in states which correlate to $np(n+1)s$ dissociation asymptotes. Spectral signatures of bound molecular states are clearly resolved at the positions of avoided crossings between long-range van der Waals potential curves. The experimental results are in agreement with simulations based on a detailed model of the long-range multipole-multipole interactions of Rydberg-atom pair states. We show that a full model is required to accurately predict the occurrence of bound Rydberg macrodimers. The macrodimers are distinguished from repulsive molecular states by their behavior with respect to spontaneous ionization and possible decay channels are discussed.

arXiv comment6 pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (25)

• Tutorial: Calculation of Rydberg interaction potentials
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• Quantum gas microscopy of Rydberg macrodimers
• Realizing distance-selective interactions in a Rydberg-dressed atom array
• Trilobites, butterflies, and other exotic specimens of long-range Rydberg molecules
• Long-range Rydberg-atom-ion molecules of Rb and Cs
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• Deeply bound (24$D_J$ + 5$S_{1/2}$) ${}^{87}$Rb and ${}^{85}$Rb molecules for eight spin couplings
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• Neutral atom entanglement using adiabatic Rydberg dressing
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