Spectral properties of a Rydberg atom immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This paper explores how the spectral properties of a Rydberg atom are affected when immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate, revealing the influence of condensate density and confinement geometry on the atom's spectrum.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for analyzing the spectral structure of Rydberg atoms in BECs, including effects of different trapping potentials and analogies with magnetic field influences.

Findings

Spectral structure depends on condensate density distribution.

Confinement geometry significantly influences spectral properties.

An analogy with Rydberg atoms in magnetic fields is identified.

Abstract

The electronic spectrum of a Rydberg atom immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate is investigated. The Heisenberg equations of motions for the condensate and the Rydberg atom are derived. Neglecting the backaction of the Rydberg atom onto the condensate decouples the equations describing the condensate and Rydberg atom. In this case the spectral structure of the Rydberg atom is completely determined by an effective potential which depends on the density distribution of the condensate. We study the spectral properties for the situation of an isotropic harmonic and anharmonic as well as axially symmetric confinement. In the latter case an intriguing analogy with Rydberg atoms in magnetic fields is encountered.