Decoherence in Excited Atoms by Low-Energy Scattering

Abstract

Abstract:We describe a new mechanism of decoherence in excited atoms as a result of thermal particles scattering by the atomic nucleus. It is based on the idea that a single scattering will produce a sudden displacement of the nucleus, which will be perceived by the electron in the atom as an instant shift in the electrostatic potential. This will leave the atom's wave-function partially projected into lower-energy states, which will lead to decoherence of the atomic state. The decoherence is calculated to increase with the excitation of the atom, making observation of the effect easier in Rydberg atoms. We estimate the order of the decoherence for photons and massive particles scattering, analyzing several commonly presented scenarios. Our scheme can be applied to the detection of weakly-interacting particles, like those which may be the constituents of Dark Matter, the interaction of which was calculated to have a more prominent effect that the background radiation.

Quantum principle of sensing gravitational waves: From the zero-point fluctuations to the cosmological stochastic background of spacetime

“…The effects of spacetime curvature on individual atoms have been considered in a number of works [32][33][34][35][36], showing slight shifts in the energy spectrum and weak transitions between the energy levels of the atoms induced by gravitational interactions. Gravity has been proposed to induce decoherence in atomic states [5,37,38], making the analysis of the evolution of atomic states a potential method for the detection of gravitational fluctuations [39][40][41][42]. However, these effects have also been found to be generally too small to be measured in practice [33].…”

Semiclassical approach to atomic decoherence by gravitational waves

“…(31) indicates that the detuning can be increased by using transitions between states with high quantum numbers i.e. Rydberg states, which will be easier to detect [38]. For states with n ∼ 50 [21,42], the detuning δ can increase by a factor of 10 5 , even for transitions of states with close quantum numbers.…”

“…Light with energy DE will be therefore detuned by d ~D S E p to the atom's transition. Equation (31) indicates that the detuning can be increased by using transitions between states with high quantum numbers i.e. Rydberg states, which will be easier to detect [31].…”

“…2 ), the deviation will be mostly due to the increased frequency of the cycle. In this case, according to equation (31), the ideal transition will be obtained by maximizing the energy difference between the levels [42].…”