Universal scaling in a strongly interacting Rydberg gas

Robert Löw, Hendrik Weimer, Ulrich Krohn, Rolf Heidemann, Vera Bendkowsky, Björn Butscher, Hans Peter Büchler, and Tilman Pfau
Phys. Rev. A 80, 033422 – Published 29 September 2009

Abstract

We study a gas of ultracold atoms resonantly driven into a strongly interacting Rydberg state. The long-distance behavior of the spatially frozen effective pseudospin system is determined by a set of dimensionless parameters, and we find that the experimental data exhibit algebraic scaling laws for the excitation dynamics and the saturation of Rydberg excitation. Mean-field calculations as well as numerical simulations provide an excellent agreement with the experimental finding and are evidence for universality in a strongly interacting frozen Rydberg gas.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 25 February 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.80.033422

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Robert Löw1,*, Hendrik Weimer2, Ulrich Krohn3, Rolf Heidemann1, Vera Bendkowsky1, Björn Butscher1, Hans Peter Büchler2, and Tilman Pfau1,†

  • 15. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany
  • 2Institut für Theoretische Physik III, Universität Stuttgart, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany
  • 3Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom

  • *r.loew@physik.uni-stuttgart.de
  • t.pfau@physik.uni-stuttgart.de

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 80, Iss. 3 — September 2009

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review A

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×