Quantum Information Seminar Series: Charles Adams
- Date: 02/15/2012
- Time: 15:00
University of Alberta
Non-linear optics using Rydberg atoms
Abstract
We present recent work on cooperative non-linear optics where
the non- linearity is mediated not directly by the interaction between
light and matter, but indirectly by dipole-dipole interactions between
light induced excitations. For the giant dipoles associated with
transitions between highly excited Rydberg states, a single excitation
induces a cooperative response of up to 1000 neighboring atoms, thereby
greatly amplifying the effect of each photon. This amplifying mechanism
results in strongly enhanced optical non-linearities, see J. D.
Pritchard et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 193603 (2010), allowing the
creation and control of non-classical states of light.