Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly-into a strongly-interacting regime via adiabatic transformation of the atoms from an approximately non-polar into a highly dipolar quantum state. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces are probed using a device akin to a field ion microscope. Ion imaging and pair-correlation analysis reveal the kinetics of the interacting atoms. Dumbbell-shaped pair correlation images demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipolar C3 coefficient, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The results indicate many-body dynamics akin to disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems.PACS numbers: 32.80. Ee, 34.20.Cf Dipolar and van der Waals interactions between atoms and molecules affect the properties of matter on microscopic and macroscopic scales. On the quantum level, the distinctions between van der Waals and electric dipole-dipole interactions are in the overall interaction strength, the scaling with the internuclear separation, and the (an)isotropy behavior. Highly excited Rydberg atoms present an ideal platform to study these interactions in binary and few-body quantum systems because Rydberg-atom interactions are generally strong and widely tunable between dipole-dipole, van der Waals and other types. The electric dipole-dipole [1-3] and van der Waals [4,5] interactions between Rydberg atoms have previously been studied using spectroscopic measurements of level shifts. Methods from optical and electron microscopy have been adapted to image Rydbergatom systems with single-particle spatial resolution, revealing many-body quantum structures such as Rydbergatom crystals [6][7][8] and enabling advanced studies of the Rydberg excitation blockade [9][10][11].In our work we employ an adiabatic quantum-state preparation method and a modified field ion microscope [12][13][14] with single-atom resolution to measure the atom kinetics that result from the dipolar force. We overcome the density limit imposed by the excitation blockade by initially preparing Rydberg atoms under conditions where they are only subject to weak van der Waals interactions. This allows us to prepare Rydberg atom samples with relatively small interatomic separations. In order to switch on strong dipole-dipole interactions, the atoms are subsequently transferred into a highly dipolar state via a Landau-Zener adiabatic passage through an avoided crossing [15,16]. After the adiabatic state transformation, the direction of the permanent atomic dipoles is locked to the direction of an external electric field. After initialization, the atoms move under the influence of the strong dipolar forces for a variable interaction time. The center-of-mass positions of the Rydberg atoms are then detected by field ionization [17] and ion imaging [18]. From the recorded images, we calculate the spatial pair correlation functions between the Rydberg atoms [19], which directly show the anisotro...
The behaviour of interacting ultracold Rydberg atoms in both constant electric fields and laser fields is important for designing experiments and constructing realistic models of them. In this paper, we briefly review our prior work and present new results on how electric fields affect interacting ultracold Rydberg atoms. Specifically, we address the topics of constant background electric fields on Rydberg atom pair excitation and laser-induced Stark shifts on pair excitation.
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