Newton's cradle and entanglement transport in a flexible Rydberg chain

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how a flexible Rydberg atom chain can transfer entanglement via a combined pulse mechanism, resembling a Newton's cradle, due to excitonic and atomic motion interplay.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism for entanglement transport in Rydberg chains through coupled excitonic and atomic dynamics.

Findings

Entanglement propagates as a combined pulse in the chain.

Excitonic and atomic motions are coupled to facilitate transport.

The process resembles momentum transfer in a Newton's cradle.

Abstract

In a regular, flexible chain of Rydberg atoms, a single electronic excitation localizes on two atoms that are in closer mutual proximity than all others. We show how the interplay between excitonic and atomic motion causes electronic excitation and diatomic proximity to propagate through the Rydberg chain as a combined pulse. In this manner entanglement is transferred adiabatically along the chain, reminiscent of momentum transfer in Newton's cradle.