ECE SEMINAR

Rydberg atoms in fundamental physics and quantum-technology applications
Georg Raithel, Professor of Physics, University of Michigan
Rydberg atoms, which are atoms with a tenuously bound valence electron, are highly sensitive to external electromagnetic fields and to other atoms. Fundamental work on cold Rydberg atoms and ions includes the study of molecular bonding based on low-energy electron scattering and long-range multipolar interactions, characterization and utilization of trapping forces and A-square transitions afforded by the ponderomotive interaction, high-precision measurement of physical constants, such as the Rydberg constant, and potential QED-style searches for axionic dark matter. I will describe several activities of my group in these areas. Further, recent applications of Rydberg atoms include quantum simulators and quantum information methods, as well as sensors for dc and rf electric fields in vapor cells and in high vacuum. I will present results on Rydberg electric field sensing in vapor cells and in high-vacuum cold-ion sources, and on Rydberg level shifts and broadening caused by low-pressure inert gases. Prospects in spectroscopic diagnostics of electric fields in low-pressure plasma will be discussed.