Exploiting the composite character of Rydberg atoms for cold atom trapping

TL;DR

This paper explores how the composite structure of Rydberg atoms affects their magnetic trapping, revealing new ways to manipulate and generate traps for ground state atoms using Rydberg states.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of Rydberg atoms' composite nature on trapping properties and proposes a novel method to create traps for ground state atoms via off-resonant coupling.

Findings

Composite nature significantly alters trapping properties.

Proposed method for generating ground state atom traps.

Simulated time-of-flight images support the findings.

Abstract

By investigating the quantum properties of magnetically trapped nS Rydberg atoms, it is demonstrated that the composite nature of Rydberg atoms significantly alters their trapping properties opposed to point-like particles with the same magnetic moment. We show how the specific signatures of the Rydberg trapping potential can be probed by means of ground state atoms that are off-resonantly coupled to the Rydberg state via a two photon laser transition. In addition, it is demonstrated how this approach provides new possibilities for generating traps for ground state atoms. Simulated time-of-flight pictures mirroring the experimental situation are provided.