Nondestructive Detection of Polar Molecules via Rydberg Atoms

TL;DR

This paper proposes a highly sensitive, nondestructive method for detecting polar molecules using resonant energy transfer with Rydberg atoms, enabling near-unity efficiency detection across various species.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detection technique leveraging energy transfer between molecules and Rydberg atoms, which is broadly applicable and minimally invasive.

Findings

Energy transfer cross section exceeds 10^{-6} cm^2 at low collision energies

Near unit efficiency detection of polar molecules in specific internal states

Potential for broad application across different polar molecule species

Abstract

A highly sensitive, general, and preferably nondestructive technique to detect polar molecules would greatly advance a number of fields, in particular quantum science with cold and ultracold molecules. Here, we propose using resonant energy transfer between molecules and Rydberg atoms to detect molecules. Based on an energy transfer cross section of $>10^{-6}\,$cm$^2$ for sufficiently low collision energies, a near unit efficiency non-destructive detection of basically any polar molecule species in a well defined internal state should be possible.