D. Tong

Local Blockade of Rydberg Excitation in an Ultracold Gas

In the laser excitation of ultracold atoms to Rydberg states, we observe a dramatic suppression caused by van der Waals interactions. This behavior is interpreted as a local excitation blockade: Rydberg atoms strongly inhibit excitation of their neighbors. We measure suppression, relative to isolated atom excitation, by up to a factor of 6.4. The dependences of this suppression on both laser irradiance and atomic density are in good agreement with a mean-field model. These results are an important step towards using ultracold Rydberg atoms in quantum information processing.

Long-range potentials and ( n − 1 ) d + n s molecular resonances in an ultracold Rydberg gas

We have calculated long-range molecular potentials of the

Observation of electric quadrupole transitions to Rydberg nd states of ultracold rubidium atoms

{0}_{g}^{+}

Long-range interactions in a cold Rydberg gas

,

Excitation suppression in an ultracold rydberg gas due to a local van der waals blockade

{0}_{u}^{\ensuremath{-}}

Spectroscopy and ionization dynamics of a dense ultracold Rydberg atom gas

, and

Long-range molecular resonances in a cold Rydberg gas

{1}_{u}

Superradiance in ultracold Rydberg gases

symmetries between highly excited rubidium atoms. Strong

Superradiance in ultracold Rydberg atoms

np+np

Long-range Rydberg-Rydberg interactions and molecular resonances

potentials characterized by these symmetries are important in describing interaction-induced phenomena in the excitation spectra of high