Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Assemblies of Rydberg atoms subject to resonant dipole-dipole interactions exhibit Frenkel excitons. We show that van der Waals shifts can significantly modify the exciton wave function, whenever atoms approach each other closely. As a result, attractive dipole-dipole potentials and repulsive van der Waals interactions can be combined to form stable one-dimensional atom chains, akin to bound aggregates. Here the van der Waals shifts ensure a stronger homogeneous delocalization of a single excitation over the whole chain, enabling it to bind several atoms. When brought into unstable configurations, such Rydberg aggregates allow the direct monitoring of their dissociation dynamics.
Source: Physical Review A
Authors: H. Zoubi, A. Eisfeld, S. Wüster
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2053045586