Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité - UMR5589

Circular Rydberg atoms are highly excited atoms (high principle quantum number 𝑛) with maximal angular (𝑙=𝑛−1) and magnetic (𝑚=𝑙) quantum numbers. Their toroidal orbits have large size (𝑟≈1/4 𝜇m for 𝑛≈50) and, hence, large induced dipole moment (𝑑≈1800 𝑒𝑎0), making them very sensitive to external fields (electric, magnetic...) as well to other Rydberg atoms over several micrometer distances. Finally, these atoms exhibit very long lifetimes on the order of 𝜏≈30 ms.

Over the last more than 30 years, these atoms have been successfully used in fundamental research, for instance in a cavity QED system to control and measure in a non-destructive way quantum states of trapped light. Nowadays, these atoms find their place in advanced quantum technologies, like quantum metrology, quantum information and quantum simulation.

The main objective of our group is to develop a quantum simulation platform built on individual circular Rydberg atoms trapped in a programmable array of optical microtraps. Being placed inside a specially designed plane-parallel capacitor (2 𝑚𝑚 plate distance), the atomic spontaneous emission can be strongly supressed (theoretically, up to several minutes), making them promising for long quantum simulation protocols, e.g. for studying thermalisation or adiabatic processes. More generally, our aim is to develop a new tool to control and protect fragile quantum systems against relaxation.

For more detailed information and latest news, please visit : https://www.quantumengineering-tlse.org/research/rydberg-atoms/