Coherent Transfer between Low-Angular-Momentum and Circular Rydberg States
Adrien Signoles, Eva-Katharina Dietsche, Adrien Facon, Dorian Grosso, S. Haroche, J. M. Raimond, M. Brune, S. Gleyzes · Physical Review Letters · 2017
We realize a coherent transfer between a laser-accessible low-angular-momentum Rydberg state and the circular Rydberg level with maximal angular momentum. It is induced by a radio frequency field with a high-purity σ^{+} polarization resonant on Stark transitions inside the hydrogenic Rydberg manifold. We observe over a few microseconds more than 20 coherent Rabi oscillations between the initial Rydberg state and the circular level. We characterize these many-Rydberg-level oscillations and find them in perfect agreement with a simple model. This coherent transfer opens the way to hybrid quantum gates bridging the gap between optical communication and quantum information manipulations with microwave cavity and circuit quantum electrodynamics.