Cooperative Bistability in Dense, Excited Atomic Systems

Hehlen, Markus P.; Güdel, Hans‐Ulrich; Shu, Q. Z.; Rai, Jagdish; Rai, Suranjana; Rand, Stephen C.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.73.1103

Cited by 167 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In contrast to previous experiments, we directly observe optical bistability in the transmission of the probe light without the requirement for cryogenics [7] or cavity feedback [2]. We distinguish between the phases of low and high Rydberg occupancy using fluorescence spectroscopy and confirm the first-order phase transition through the observation of critical slowing down in the temporal response of the ensemble.…”

mentioning

confidence: 73%

“…However, bistability can also arise in systems where many dipoles are located within a volume which is much smaller than the optical wavelength; in this case the feedback is due to resonant dipole-dipole interactions [4,5]. This latter case is known as intrinsic optical bistability [6] and has, so far, only been observed in an up-conversion process between densely packed Yb 3+ ions in a solid-state crystal host cooled to cryogenic temperatures [7]. Intrinsic optical bistability generally cannot be observed for simple two-level systems such as atomic gases, because the resonance broadening, which is larger than the line shift [8], suppresses the bistable response [9,10].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This phase is characterised by the strong (orange) fluorescence shown in the inset. Importantly, the absence of emission close to the ionisation limit for each series, indicated by the dark (red) vertical lines, indicates that atoms are not promoted to higher-lying Rydberg states, as would occur in a collisional or up-conversion processes [7]. We can also neglect the effects of thermal blackbody photons because the average number of photons per mode at RydbergRydberg transition frequencies is much lower than the average number of excited atoms [31].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Nonequilibrium Phase Transition in a Dilute Rydberg Ensemble

Carr¹,

Ritter²,

Wade³

et al. 2013

Phys. Rev. Lett.

232

287

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We demonstrate a non-equilibrium phase transition in a dilute thermal atomic gas. The phase transition, between states of low and high Rydberg occupancy, is induced by resonant dipole-dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms. The gas can be considered as dilute as the atoms are separated by distances much greater than the wavelength of the optical transitions used to excite them. In the frequency domain we observe a mean-field shift of the Rydberg state which results in intrinsic optical bistability above a critical Rydberg number density. In the time domain we observe critical slowing down where the recovery time to system perturbations diverges with critical exponent α = −0.53 ± 0.10. The atomic emission spectrum of the phase with high Rydberg occupancy provides evidence for a superradiant cascade.Non-equilibrium systems displaying phase transitions are found throughout nature and society, for example in ecosystems, financial markets and climate [1]. The steady state of a non-equilibrium system is a dynamical equilibrium between driving and dissipative processes. In atomic physics, one of the most studied non-equilibrium phase transitions is optical bistability where the driving is provided by a resonant laser field and the dissipation is inherent in the atom-light interaction. In most examples of optical bistability feedback is provided by an optical cavity, as in the pioneering work of Gibbs [2,3]. However, bistability can also arise in systems where many dipoles are located within a volume which is much smaller than the optical wavelength; in this case the feedback is due to resonant dipole-dipole interactions [4,5]. This latter case is known as intrinsic optical bistability [6] and has, so far, only been observed in an up-conversion process between densely packed Yb 3+ ions in a solid-state crystal host cooled to cryogenic temperatures [7]. Intrinsic optical bistability generally cannot be observed for simple two-level systems such as atomic gases, because the resonance broadening, which is larger than the line shift [8], suppresses the bistable response [9,10].A solution to this problem is provided by highlyexcited Rydberg states, where the dipole-dipole induced level shifts between neighbouring states can be much larger than the excitation linewidth. This property of optical excitation of Rydberg atoms, known as dipole blockade [11], enables a diverse range of applications in quantum many-body physics, quantum information processing [12], non-linear optics [13] and quantum optics [14][15][16][17]. An interesting feature of Rydberg systems is that the range of the interaction can be much larger than the optical excitation wavelength, giving rise to non-local interactions [18]. This also creates the possibility of observing intrinsic optical bistability, and hence non-equilibrium phase transitions [19] over macroscopic, optically-resolvable length scales.In this letter, we demonstrate a non-equilibrium phase transition in a thermal Rydberg ensemble. In contrast to previous experiments, we directly observe...

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confidence: 73%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Nonequilibrium Phase Transition in a Dilute Rydberg Ensemble

Carr¹,

Ritter²,

Wade³

et al. 2013

Phys. Rev. Lett.

232

287

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“…Later it was conjectured that local-field corrections alone could give rise to mirrorless OB [9]. This type of bistability was extensively studied [10][11][12][13][14] and observed experimentally [15].The practical interest in all-optical devices faded to some extent as their solid-state counterparts proved to perform better in terms of switching speed and device density. However, OB and optical hysteresis remain of considerable interest from the fundamental standpoint as a clear manifestation of a nonlinear light-matter interaction.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Condition for resonant optical bistability

Малышев

2012

Phys. Rev. A

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We address a two-level system in an environment interacting with an electromagnetic field in the dipole approximation. The resonant optical bistability induced by local-field effects is studied by considering the relationship between the population difference and the excitation field. The diversity of various systems is included by accounting for system self-action via the surface part of Green's dyadic in the general form. The bistability condition and the exact solution of the steady-state optical Bloch equations at the absolute bistability threshold are derived analytically. Because of its underlying nature and possible applications in the field of all-optical processing, optical bistability (OB) has been a subject of intense experimental and theoretical research . In early studies the use of a saturable absorber to induce OB was suggested [3][4][5][6][7]. The phenomenon was demonstrated experimentally for a cell of sodium vapor enclosed in a Fabry Perot interferometer and excited by a cw dyelaser [8]. Later it was conjectured that local-field corrections alone could give rise to mirrorless OB [9]. This type of bistability was extensively studied [10][11][12][13][14] and observed experimentally [15].The practical interest in all-optical devices faded to some extent as their solid-state counterparts proved to perform better in terms of switching speed and device density. However, OB and optical hysteresis remain of considerable interest from the fundamental standpoint as a clear manifestation of a nonlinear light-matter interaction. Some new types of bistability mechanisms have been discussed recently [16][17][18][19]. Besides, the question of OB and hysteresis has received renewed attention in connection with novel hybrid zero-dimensional (0D) nanoscopic systems, e.g., artificial molecules comprising a semiconductor quantum dot (SQD) and metal nanoparticles (see and references therein).In this paper we address only mirrorless OB induced by local-field effects on a two-level system (TLS) interacting with an electromagnetic field in the dipole approximation. The local-field correction leads to a self-action of the system, which results in a nonlinear relation between the applied field and the one acting on the system. This type of OB mechanism can be relevant for a large variety of systems: dense 3D assemblies of two-level atoms [9,14], optically dense thin films of TLS [24,25] and films of linear molecular aggregates [26][27][28], hybrid metal-semiconductor systems [20][21][22][23], and a more general case of a TLS in an environment involving dielectric and conducting surfaces, such as a stratified medium, a microcavity, or a nanostructure.OB can occur within a range of internal system parameters and external-field intensities; identifying these ranges is therefore an important problem and its analytical solution is desirable. To the best of the author's knowledge, so far * on leave from A. F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia; a.malyshev@fis.ucm.es. it has been solved exactly ...

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Implementing Thermometry on Silicon Surfaces Functionalized by Lanthanide‐Doped Self‐Assembled Polymer Monolayers

Rodrigues

Piñol

Antorrena

et al. 2015

Adv Funct Materials

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The thermal gradients generated at submicrometer scale by the millions of transistors contained in integrated circuits are becoming the key limiting factor for device integration in micro‐ and nanoelectronics. Noncontact thermometric techniques with high‐spatial resolution are, thus, essential for noninvasive off‐chip characterization and heat management on Si surfaces. Here, the first ratiometric luminescent molecular thermometer implemented in a self‐assembled polymer monolayer functionalized Si surface is reported. The functionalization of Si surfaces with luminescent thermometers constitutes a proof‐of‐concept that foretells a wide range of applications in Si‐based micro‐ and nanostructures. The thermometric functionalization of the Si surface with Tb3+ and Eu3+ complexes leads to a thermal sensitivity up to 1.43% K−1, a cycle–recycle reliability of 98.6%, and a temperature uncertainty of less than 0.3 K. The functionalized surface presents reversible bistability that can be used as an optically active molecular demultiplexer.

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Cooperative Bistability in Dense, Excited Atomic Systems

Cited by 167 publications

References 18 publications

Nonequilibrium Phase Transition in a Dilute Rydberg Ensemble

Nonequilibrium Phase Transition in a Dilute Rydberg Ensemble

Condition for resonant optical bistability

Implementing Thermometry on Silicon Surfaces Functionalized by Lanthanide‐Doped Self‐Assembled Polymer Monolayers

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