Probing interference effects of A² and A●p optical drives in lattice-trapped Rydberg atoms

Rydberg atoms possess a broad range of advantageous properties, from extended lifetimes and large geometric and collisional cross-sections to a heightened sensitivity to external electromagnetic (EM) fields. Such attributes lend themselves to both fundamental and applied quantum research. Present applications include studies of many-body dynamics in Rydberg quantum simulators, formation of exotic Rydberg molecules, and Rydberg-atom-based EM field sensing [1-2]. Previously, methods of Rydberg atom spectroscopy relying on amplitude- and phase-modulated, far-off-resonant optical lattice potentials have been demonstrated [3-5]. Such ponderomotive transitions can be driven in a Doppler-free manner and with relaxed selection rules. Here we report on current progress in probing the combined effects of simultaneously-applied optical ponderomotive drives, which are rooted in the A² term of the minimal coupling Hamiltonian, and second-order E1 drives, which arise from the A●p term. Interference between these fundamentally different interactions may serve as a pathway towards novel EM field sensing approaches and heterodyne schemes.

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[4] K.R. Moore, S.E. Anderson, and G. Raithel, Nat. Comm. 6, 6090 (2015).

[5] R. Cardman and G. Raithel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 023201 (2023).