Collective resonance of DD states in rubidium atoms probed by optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy

Collective resonance of interacting particles has important implications in many-body quantum systems and their applications. Strong interactions can lead to a blockade that prohibits the excitation of a collective resonance of two or more nearby atoms. However, a collective resonance can be excited with the presence of weak interaction and has been observed for atoms in the first excited state ($P$ states). Here, we report the observation of collective resonance of rubidium atoms in a higher excited state ($D$ states) in addition to the first excited state. The collective resonance is excited by a double-quantum four-pulse excitation sequence. The resulting double-quantum two-dimensional (2D) spectrum displays well-isolated peaks that can be attributed to collective resonances of atoms in $P$ and $D$ states. The experimental one-quantum and double-quantum 2D spectra can be reproduced by a simulation based on the perturbative solutions to the optical Bloch equations, confirming collective resonances as the origin of the measured spectra. The experimental technique provides a new approach for preparing and probing collective resonances of atoms in highly excited states

Frequency-domain model of optical frequency-comb generation in optical resonators with second- and third-order nonlinearities

We developed a frequency-domain model describing optical frequency-comb generation in optical resonators with second- and third-order nonlinearities. Compared with time-domain models, our model in principle allows one to express the cavity dispersion accurately, avoiding the dispersion being truncated beyond a certain order. Moreover, the frequency-domain model can readily include frequency dependence of system parameters, such as the linear absorption and the cavity coupling ratio. To demonstrate the validity of our model, we numerically simulated quadratic combs in a singly resonant second-harmonic generation cavity and Kerr combs in a micro-resonator as two examples. The simulated results obtained from the frequency-domain model agree well with those given by previous time-domain models. A system containing both second- and third-order nonlinearities can give rise to many novel physical dynamics. The developed frequency-domain model will contribute to understanding optical frequency-comb generation assisted by multi-order nonlinear processes in various optical resonators

Broadband Optical Two-Dimensional Coherent Spectroscopy of a Rubidium Atomic Vapor

Optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) has become a powerful tool for studying energy level structure, dynamics, and coupling in many systems including atomic ensembles. Various types of two-dimensional (2D) spectra, including the so-called single-quantum, zero-quantum, and double-quantum 2D spectra, of both D lines (D$_1$ and D$_2$ transitions) of potassium (K) atoms have been reported previously. For rubidium (Rb), a major difference is that the D-lines are about 15 nm apart as opposed to only about 3 nm for K. Simultaneously exciting both D-lines of Rb atoms requires a broader laser bandwidth for the experiment. Here, we report a broadband optical 2DCS experiment in an Rb atomic vapor. A complete set of single-quantum, zero-quantum, and double-quantum 2D spectra including both D-lines of Rb atoms were obtained. The experimental spectra were reproduced by simulated 2D spectra based on the perturbation solutions to the optical Bloch equations. This work in Rb atoms complements previous 2DCS studies of K and Rb with a narrower bandwidth that covers two D-lines of K or only a single D-line of Rb. The broadband excitation enables the capability to perform double-quantum and multi-quantum 2DCS of both D-lines of Rb to study many-body interactions and correlations in comparison with K atoms

Observation of scalable and deterministic multi-atom Dicke states in an atomic vapor

Dicke state, a coherent state of multiple particles, is fundamentally responsible for various intriguing collective behaviors of many-body systems. Experimental access to Dicke states with a scalable and deterministic number of particles is essential to study how many-body properties depend on the particle number. We report the observation of Dicke states consisting of two, three, four, five, six, and seven atoms in an atomic vapor. Quantum coherences between the ground state and multi-atom states are created and detected by using optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy. The signal originated from multi-atom states is manifested as correlation between the multi-quantum coherence and the emission signal, providing direct and unambiguous detection of Dicke states. The manipulation of deterministic atomic Dicke states has possible implications in quantum information processing and fundamental many-body physics

Long range dipole-dipole interaction in atomic vapors probed by double-quantum two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy

Optical double-quantum two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) was implemented to probe interatomic dipole-dipole interactions in both potassium and rubidium atomic vapors. The dipole-dipole interaction was detected at densities of $4.81 \times 10^8$ cm$^{-3}$ and $8.40 \times 10^9$ cm$^{-3}$ for potassium and rubidium, respectively, corresponding to a mean interatomic separation of 15.8 $\mu$m or $3.0\times 10^5a_0$ for potassium and 6.1 $\mu$m or $1.2\times 10^5a_0$ for rubidium, where $a_0$ is the Bohr radius. We report the lowest atomic density at which dipole-dipole interactions are detected. The experimental results confirm the long range nature of the dipole-dipole interaction which is critical for understanding many-body physics in atoms/molecules. The long range interaction also has implications in atom-based applications involving many-body interactions. Additionally, we demonstrated that double-quantum 2DCS is sufficiently sensitive to probe dipole-dipole interaction at densities that can be achieved with cold atom in a magneto-optical trap, paving the way for double-quantum 2DCS studies of cold atoms and molecules. The method can also open a new avenue to study long-range interactions in solid states systems such as quantum dots and color centers in diamonds

<i>Thermus thermophilus</i> Proteins That Are Differentially Expressed in Response to Growth Temperature and Their Implication in Thermoadaptation

As a kind of important extremophiles to realize the adaptation of life at high temperatures, thermophiles have attracted extensive studies. However, the pathways of thermophile proteins related to thermoadaptation remain to be addressed. Our study showed that there existed two types of protein profiles for the thermophile Thermus thermophilus wl in response to temperature change. One of them came from cultures growing below 65 °C, which was close to the optimal growth temperature, and another from cultures at or above 65 °C. These protein profiles were confirmed by Northern blots. On the basis of the proteomic and computational analyses, it was found that the thermophile proteins related to thermoadaptation might be involved in metabolic pathways as well as the stabilities and modifications of DNA and proteins. Interestingly, for the basic metabolism glycolysis, the phosphoglucomutase was up-regulated at below-optimum temperature, while the glyceraldehyde-3-phophate dehydrogenase was up-regulated at above-optimum temperature, suggesting that different regulations might be used for basic metabolism at different temperatures. To characterize the proteins in response to high temperatures, superoxide dismutase (SOD), an important enzyme in organism to remove free radical produced in stress environment such as high temperature, was selected as a target protein for this investigation. SOD was inactivated to construct a SOD mutant. The results showed that the SOD protein was essential in thermoadaptation of T. thermophilus. Our study, therefore, presented the thermophile proteins required for thermoadaptation and their possible pathways in thermoadaptation

Optical Two-dimensional Coherent Spectroscopy of Cold Atoms

We report an experimental demonstration of optical 2DCS in cold atoms. The experiment integrates a collinear 2DCS setup with a magneto-optical trap (MOT), in which cold rubidium (Rb) atoms are prepared at a temperature of about 200 $\mu$K and a number density of $10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$. With a sequence of femtosecond laser pulses, we first obtained one-dimensional second- and fourth-order nonlinear signals and then acquired both one-quantum and zero-quantum 2D spectra of cold Rb atoms. The capability of performing optical 2DCS in cold atoms is an important step toward optical 2DCS study of many-body physics in cold atoms and ultimately in atom arrays and trapped ions. Optical 2DCS in cold atoms/molecules can also be a new avenue to probe chemical reaction dynamics in cold molecules

Media 1: Determining the System Hamiltonian with Optical 3-D Spectroscopy

Originally published in Optics and Photonics News on 01 December 2013 (opn-24-12-50

Fast phase cycling in non-collinear optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy

As optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) is extended to a broader range of applications, it is critical to improve the detection sensitivity of optical 2DCS. We developed a fast phase-cycling scheme in a non-collinear optical 2DCS implementation by using liquid crystal phase retarders to modulate the phases of two excitation pulses. The background in the signal can be eliminated by combining either two or four interferograms measured with a proper phase configuration. The effectiveness of this method was validated in optical 2DCS measurements of an atomic vapor. This fast phase-cycling scheme will enable optical 2DCS in novel emerging applications that require enhanced detection sensitivity