Rydberg atoms inside hollow-core photonic crystal fibres

Summary

This joint project between Erlangen (University of Erlangen and the Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light) and Stuttgart (5th institute of Physics) will study Rydberg excitations inside hollow-core photonic crystal fibres. The combination of hollow core fibres with atomic vapours provides an optimal atom-light coupling beyond the diffraction limit. Depending on the cladding structure the fiber can support or strongly suppress the propagation of high order optical modes, making it effectively single mode or multimode.

As a joint project the fibers will be developed in Erlangen and the Rydberg spectroscopy will be performed in Stuttgart. In more detail we will focus on the interacting regime of thermal Rydberg atoms for: (i) the investigation of the superradiant regime and (ii) the observation of optical bistability in Rydberg states. The use of optical bistabilities could enable narrow band microwave/THz detectors and sources.

By enclosing the fibres within a vapour cell made of glass we avoid the need for any active pumping system and have at same time an assembly which has an excellent optical access and can handle temperatures of up to 300 Celsius.

Principal Investigators

Nicolas Joly, Max-Planck-Institut fuer die Physik des Lichts
Robert Loew, Universitaet Stuttgart
Philip Russell, Max-Planck-Institut fuer die Physik des Lichts

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