Effect of finite detection efficiency on the observation of the dipole-dipole interaction of a few Rydberg atoms

Abstract

We have developed a simple analytical model describing multi-atom signals that are measured in experiments on dipole-dipole interaction at resonant collisions of a few Rydberg atoms. It has been shown that finite efficiency of the selective field-ionization detector leads to the mixing up of the spectra of resonant collisions registered for various numbers of Rydberg atoms. The formulas which help to estimate an appropriate mean Rydberg atom number for a given detection efficiency are presented. We have found that a measurement of the relation between the amplitudes of collisional resonances observed in the one- and two-atom signals provides a straightforward determination of the absolute detection efficiency and mean Rydberg atom number. We also performed a testing experiment on resonant collisions in a small excitation volume of a sodium atomic beam. The resonances observed for 1 to 4 detected Rydberg atoms have been analyzed and compared with theory.

arXiv comment10 pages, 4 figures; equations 8,9,18,19,23,26-31, figures 3 and 4(d), and measurements revised in version 3

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Quantum information with Rydberg atoms
• Dipole blockade in a cold Rydberg atomic sample
• Observation of the Stark-tuned Forster resonance between two Rydberg atoms
• Controlling the interactions of a few cold Rb Rydberg atoms by radiofrequency-assisted Förster resonances
• Observation of the Borromean three-body Förster resonances for three interacting Rb Rydberg atoms
• Stark-tuned Förster resonance and dipole blockade for two to five cold Rydberg atoms: Monte Carlo simulations for various spatial configurations
• Ion detection in the photoionization of a Rb Bose-Einstein condensate
• Investigation of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap
• Effect of photoions on the line shapes of the Förster resonance and microwave transitions in cold rubidium Rydberg atoms
• Jaynes-Cummings dynamics in mesoscopic ensembles of Rydberg-blockaded atoms
• Observation of the Dipole Blockade Effect in Detecting Rydberg Atoms by the Selective Field Ionization Method