Dipole-dipole broadening of Rb ns-np microwave transitions

作者：Park Hyunwook^*; Tanner P J; Claessens B J; Shuman E S; Gallagher T F

来源：Physical Review A, 2011, 84(2): 022704.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevA.84.022704

The dipole-dipole broadening of ns - np microwave transitions of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap has been recorded for 28 <= n <= 51. Since the electric dipole transition matrix elements scale as n(2), a broadening rate scaling as n(4) is expected and a broadening rate of 8.2 x 10(-15)n(4) MHz cm(3) is observed. The observed broadening is smaller than expected from a classical picture due to the spin-orbit interaction in the np atoms. The broadened resonances are asymmetric and cusp shaped, and their line shapes can be reproduced by a diatomic model which takes into account the dipole-dipole interaction, including the spin-orbit interaction, the strengths of the allowed microwave transitions, and the distribution of the atomic spacings in the trap.

• 出版日期2011-8-5