Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states
Rydberg atoms are often proposed as the basis of quantum computing and quantum information protocols. One of the central reasons for this is that they provide a strong and long-ranged interaction that can be coherently switched on and off. This thesis details two techniques which use the exaggerated...
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| Format: | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13800/ |
| _version_ | 1848791810299658240 |
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| author | Laycock, Thomas Henry |
| author_facet | Laycock, Thomas Henry |
| author_sort | Laycock, Thomas Henry |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Rydberg atoms are often proposed as the basis of quantum computing and quantum information protocols. One of the central reasons for this is that they provide a strong and long-ranged interaction that can be coherently switched on and off. This thesis details two techniques which use the exaggerated properties of Rydberg atoms to manipulate both the quantum state of the atom itself and that of the external light field.
The first proposal initially focuses on the creation of many-body quantum states from two-level atoms trapped in a two-dimensional lattice. This approach uses the van der Waals interaction present between alkali metal atoms in highly excited Rydberg s-states. The approximate solution of the corresponding Hamiltonian is detailed in the regime where the laser driving is the largest energy scale of the system. The states which are most likely achieved using an oscillating laser detuning are then determined. These states are then taken as the basis for the creation of deterministic single-photons, whose properties are shown to rely on the interplay between interatomic spacing and the geometry of the lattice.
The second technique described uses the coupling between a Rydberg atom and a moving electron to manipulate the atomic state. In this system, the atom is initially excited to a Rydberg s-state and trapped at a finite distance from an electron waveguide. Two analytical methods are used to show that the final state of the atom depends strongly on the direction and modulus of the electron momentum. A complementary numerical simulation shows that the atoms may be left in a polarised state, suggesting the possibility of using this setup to ‘switch on’ permanent electric dipoles in the atoms. This investigation leads naturally to a system where multiple interacting atoms are trapped close to the waveguide, allowing various many-body states to be accessed. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:34:25Z |
| format | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-13800 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:34:25Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-138002025-02-28T11:27:06Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13800/ Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states Laycock, Thomas Henry Rydberg atoms are often proposed as the basis of quantum computing and quantum information protocols. One of the central reasons for this is that they provide a strong and long-ranged interaction that can be coherently switched on and off. This thesis details two techniques which use the exaggerated properties of Rydberg atoms to manipulate both the quantum state of the atom itself and that of the external light field. The first proposal initially focuses on the creation of many-body quantum states from two-level atoms trapped in a two-dimensional lattice. This approach uses the van der Waals interaction present between alkali metal atoms in highly excited Rydberg s-states. The approximate solution of the corresponding Hamiltonian is detailed in the regime where the laser driving is the largest energy scale of the system. The states which are most likely achieved using an oscillating laser detuning are then determined. These states are then taken as the basis for the creation of deterministic single-photons, whose properties are shown to rely on the interplay between interatomic spacing and the geometry of the lattice. The second technique described uses the coupling between a Rydberg atom and a moving electron to manipulate the atomic state. In this system, the atom is initially excited to a Rydberg s-state and trapped at a finite distance from an electron waveguide. Two analytical methods are used to show that the final state of the atom depends strongly on the direction and modulus of the electron momentum. A complementary numerical simulation shows that the atoms may be left in a polarised state, suggesting the possibility of using this setup to ‘switch on’ permanent electric dipoles in the atoms. This investigation leads naturally to a system where multiple interacting atoms are trapped close to the waveguide, allowing various many-body states to be accessed. 2013-12-10 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13800/1/Thomas_Laycock_Thesis.pdf Laycock, Thomas Henry (2013) Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. |
| spellingShingle | Laycock, Thomas Henry Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title | Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title_full | Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title_fullStr | Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title_full_unstemmed | Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title_short | Creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using Rydberg states |
| title_sort | creation and manipulation of quantum states of light and cold atoms using rydberg states |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13800/ |