Fast and Quasideterministic Single Ion Source from a Dipole-Blockaded Atomic Ensemble

C. Ates, I. Lesanovsky, C. S. Adams, and K. J. Weatherill
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 213003 – Published 21 May 2013
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Abstract

We present a fast and quasideterministic protocol for the production of single ions and electrons from a cloud of laser-cooled atoms. The approach is based on a two-step process where first a single Rydberg atom is photoexcited from a dipole-blockade configuration and subsequently ionized by an electric field pulse. We theoretically describe these excitation-ionization cycles via dynamical quantum maps and observe a rich behavior of the ionization dynamics as a function of laser Rabi frequency, pulse duration, and particle number. Our results show that a fast sequential heralded production of single charged particles is achievable even from an unstructured and fluctuating atomic ensemble.

  • Received 27 February 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.213003

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. Ates1, I. Lesanovsky1, C. S. Adams2, and K. J. Weatherill2

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
  • 2Joint Quantum Centre (JQC) Durham-Newcastle, Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 110, Iss. 21 — 24 May 2013

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