Propagation processing of short pulses in Rydberg exciton medium under blockade conditions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how short optical pulses propagate through a Rydberg exciton medium in Cu₂O crystals, focusing on saturation effects, dispersion changes, and the influence of exciton lifetime and coherent oscillations, supported by simulations and experimental comparisons.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical and numerical analysis of Rydberg blockade effects on pulse propagation, including dispersion and saturation phenomena, aligning with recent experimental findings.

Findings

Saturation reduces absorption and alters dispersion properties.

Exciton lifetime significantly influences pulse dynamics.

Good agreement with recent pump-probe experiments.

Abstract

Propagation of short pulses through Cu$_2$O crystal containing Rydberg excitons is studied with the use of density matrix formalism and FDTD method. Saturation effects related to the so-called Rydberg blockade are studied extensively, exploring not only reduction of absorption (bleaching) but also power-dependent changes of the dispersive properties of the medium. The role of exciton lifetime and coherent population oscillations in the dynamics of the system is investigated. A pump-probe setup with two pulses is also studied, showing good agreement with recent experimental studies.