Browsing by Author "Hazzard, K.R.A."
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Item Realizing topological edge states with Rydberg-atom synthetic dimensions(Springer Nature, 2022) Kanungo, S.K.; Whalen, J.D.; Lu, Y.; Yuan, M.; Dasgupta, S.; Dunning, F.B.; Hazzard, K.R.A.; Killian, T.C.; Rice Center for Quantum MaterialsA discrete degree of freedom can be engineered to match the Hamiltonian of particles moving in a real-space lattice potential. Such synthetic dimensions are powerful tools for quantum simulation because of the control they offer and the ability to create configurations difficult to access in real space. Here, in an ultracold 84Sr atom, we demonstrate a synthetic-dimension based on Rydberg levels coupled with millimeter waves. Tunneling amplitudes between synthetic lattice sites and on-site potentials are set by the millimeter-wave amplitudes and detunings respectively. Alternating weak and strong tunneling in a one-dimensional configuration realizes the single-particle Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) Hamiltonian, a paradigmatic model of topological matter. Band structure is probed through optical excitation from the ground state to Rydberg levels, revealing symmetry-protected topological edge states at zero energy. Edge-state energies are robust to perturbations of tunneling-rates that preserve chiral symmetry, but can be shifted by the introduction of on-site potentials.Item Rydberg-blockade effects in Autler-Townes spectra of ultracold strontium(American Physical Society, 2016) DeSalvo, B.J.; Aman, J.A.; Gaul, C.; Pohl, T.; Yoshida, S.; Burgdörfer, J.; Hazzard, K.R.A.; Dunning, F.B.; Killian, T.C.; Rice Center for Quantum MaterialsWe present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the effects of Rydberg interactions on Autler-Townes spectra of ultracold gases of atomic strontium. Realizing two-photon Rydberg excitation via a long-lived triplet state allows us to probe the regime where Rydberg state decay presents the dominant decoherence mechanism. The effects of Rydberg interactions are observed in shifts, asymmetries, and broadening of the measured atom-loss spectra. The experiment is analyzed within a one-body density-matrix approach, accounting for interaction-induced level shifts and dephasing through nonlinear terms that approximately incorporate correlations due to the Rydberg blockade. This description yields good agreement with our experimental observations for short excitation times. For longer excitation times, the loss spectrum is altered qualitatively, suggesting additional dephasing mechanisms beyond the standard blockade mechanism based on pure van der Waals interactions.