Cooperative optical non-linearity in a blockaded Rydberg ensemble

This thesis describes the first demonstration of a cooperative optical non-linearity based on Rydberg excitation. Whereas in conventional non-linear opticsthe non-linearity arises directly from the interaction between light and matter, in a cooperative process it is mediated by dipole-dipole interactions between light-induced excitations. For excitation to high Rydberg states where theelectron is only weakly bound, the dipole-dipole interactions are extremely large and long range, enabling an enormous enhancement of the non-linear effect. Consequently, cooperative non-linear optics using Rydberg excitations opens a new era for quantum optics enabling large single photon non-linearity to be accessible in free space for the first time. The thesis describes the theoretical underpinnings of the non- linear effect, the pioneering experimental results and implications for experiments in the single photon regime. INDICE: Rydberg Atoms.- Rydberg Atom Interactions.- Atom-Light Interactions.- Cooperative Phenomena.- Experiment Setup.- Results.- Photon Blockade.- Progress Towards a Single Blockade Sphere.

• ISBN: 978-3-642-29711-3
• Editorial: Springer
• Encuadernacion: Cartoné
• Fecha Publicación: 30/06/2012
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés