Reference cell for Rydberg atoms

• Grant number: 12/05542-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Principal Investigator: Luis Gustavo Marcassa
• Grantee: Victor Ferrari Pedroso Lopes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Laboratory of Atomic Interactions (LIA) has been conducting research on atoms trapped for more than a decade. During this period, we specialize in cold Rydberg atoms and cold molecules formed by fotoassociation in homonuclear and heteronuclear cold samples. Obtaining such samples demands that the frequencies of the lasers are locked to atomic transitions, using cell references alkali metals. In general, lasers are locked on the D2 line hyperfine transitions K or Rb in our laboratory. The same procedure can be done to transitions between the excited state P of the D2 line and a Rydberg state. In this project, we will perform spectroscopy in a cell reference using the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency between the state 5P3 / 2 and high Rydberg states (35