QUROPE Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe

We study the influence of Rydberg-dressed interactions in a one-dimensional (1D) Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). We show that a 1D geometry offers several advantages over a three-dimensional geometry for observing BEC Rydberg dressing. The effects of dressing are studied by investigating collective BEC dynamics after a rapid switch-off of the Rydberg dressing interaction.

Fundamental quantum fluctuations caused by the Heisenberg principle limit measurement precision.

We experimentally characterize the optical nonlinear response of a cold atomic medium placed inside an optical cavity, and excited to Rydberg states. The excitation to S and D Rydberg levels is carried out via a two-photon transition in an electromagnetically induced transparency configuration, with a weak (red) probe beam on the lower transition, and a strong (blue) coupling beam on the upper transition. The observed optical nonlinearities induced by S states for the probe beam can be explained using a semi-classical model with van der Waals' interactions.

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a ladder system involving a Rydberg level is known to yield giant optical nonlinearities for the probe field, even in the few-photon regime. This enhancement is due to the strong dipole-dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms and the resulting excitation blockade phenomenon. In order to study such highly correlated media, ad hoc models or low-excitation assumptions are generally used to tackle their dynamical response to optical fields.

It has been demonstrated that very large optical nonlinearities can arise in cold Rydberg gases from strong Rydberg–Rydberg interactions. The interactions between atoms excited to a degenerate Rydberg level are described by a large number of molecular potentials which greatly complicates the theoretical treatment of these systems. We here present a method for very accurate calculation of the third order interaction-induced optical nonlinearities that fully includes the angle-dependent mixing of molecular states by the control optical field.

In this article, we theoretically study the quantum statistical properties of the light transmitted through or reflected from an optical cavity, filled by an atomic medium with strong optical nonlinearity induced by Rydberg-Rydberg van der Waals interactions. Atoms are driven on a two-photon transition from their ground state to a Rydberg level via an intermediate state by the combination of a weak signal field and a strong control beam.

We explore the dynamics of Rydberg excitations in an optical tweezer array under antiblockade (or facilitation) conditions. Because of the finite temperature the atomic positions are randomly spread, an effect that leads to quenched correlated disorder in the interatomic interaction strengths. This drastically affects the facilitation dynamics as we demonstrate experimentally on the elementary example of two atoms.

Large arrays of individually controlled atoms trapped in optical tweezers are a very promising platform for quantum engineering applications. However, to date, only disordered arrays have been demonstrated, due to the non-deterministic loading of the traps. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of fully loaded, two-dimensional arrays of up to 50 microtraps each containing a single atom, and arranged in arbitrary geometries.

This review summarizes experimental works performed over the last decade by several groups on the manipulation of a few individual interacting Rydberg atoms. These studies establish arrays of single Rydberg atoms as a promising platform for quantum-state engineering, with potential applications to quantum metrology, quantum simulation and quantum information.

Many proof-of-principle platforms for quantum simulation of spin models such as the Ising model have been implemented. It has proved difficult to produce a design with sufficient flexibility to realize arbitrary geometries and variable distance, however. Here, the authors have developed a platform that achieves this flexibility with large atom numbers. The setup is based on arrays of optical microtraps. Creating spin chains with periodic boundary conditions, the authors study the dynamics of an Ising-like spin system with 30 spins.