Abstract
We describe measurements of high-resolution spectra and ionization dynamics in a strongly interacting gas of cold Rydberg atoms. Ground- state 85Rb atoms are cooled to a few hundred µK in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), and then excited to high Rydberg states by use of a pulse-amplified laser operating near 300 nm. The Rydberg atom density can be higher than 1010 cm−3, depending on the laser power. The laser system produces nearly transform-limited pulses of 8 nsec duration, allowing spectral resolution of about 80 MHz.
© 2001 Optical Society of America
PDF ArticleMore Like This
A. Walz-Flannigan, J. R. Guest, and G. Raithel
QThH5 Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO:FS) 2003
A. Estrin, J.R. Ensher, C.-H. Chen, C. Sanborn, E.E. Eyier, and P.L. Gould
QWK5 Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO:FS) 2000
Chris H. Greene, A. Dickinson, and H.R. Sadeghpour
QThI33 Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO:FS) 2001