The temporal dynamics of three-photon 5S1/2 → 5P3/2 → 6S1/2 → 39P3/2 laser excitation of mesoscopic ensembles of cold Rb atoms to Rydberg states in a magneto-optical trap is studied using cw single-frequency lasers at each stage. The ensembles comprise N = 1 – 5 atoms and are detected by the method of selective field ionisation with postselection with respect to the number of atoms. The dependence of the excitation probability on the duration of the exciting laser pulses and the number of detected Rydberg atoms is investigated. At short interaction times, a linear increase in probabilities is observed, and at large times, the probabilities reach saturation, while each number of atoms has its own characteristic features. The experimental dependences are compared with the results of numerical calculations in the framework of a four-level model, and their good agreement is obtained. The conditions necessary for observing Rabi population oscillations are determined. The obtained results are important for the application of Rydberg atoms in quantum information.
The possibility of obtaining superfluid phases for a Fermi gas of dysprosium with a magnetic dipole – dipole interaction is discussed. The obstacles and possible solutions are shown. The required phases are similar to the A1 phase and the polar β phase in 3 He. It is expected that in dysprosium, the macroscopic properties of the phase will be determined by the symmetry of the pair interactions. It is assumed to observe the kinetics of phase formation and spontaneous choice between two energy-degenerate phases with different projections of the orbital angular momentum.
A numerical model is constructed for calculating lightning-induced rapid changes in the polarisation state of a light signal at the output of a fibre-optic communication line with an optical ground wire. It is shown that taking into account anisotropy of real optical fibres has a noticeable effect on the shape of the polarisation rotation speed time profile. It is found that the maximum rate of change in the polarisation state and its temporal profile depend on the location of the lightning strike in the fibre span, the magnitude of fibre anisotropy and the direction of propagation of a light wave.
Laser oscillation is obtained in caesium and rubidium atoms with wavelengths in the range of 2 – 5.5 μm under pumping to high-lying energy levels. Longitudinal resonant pumping is implemented using the second harmonic of radiation from an optical parametric oscillator. The pump wavelength is tuned over discrete levels from 8P to 10P in caesium atoms and from 6P to 8P in rubidium atoms. The width of the pump radiation spectrum is 12 cm−1. When caesium atoms are pumped, the pump pulse energy is no more than 10 mJ; when rubidium atoms are pumped, it does not exceed 3 mJ. The pulse repetition rate is 10 Hz. The maximum output energy of IR laser radiation upon pumping the 9P3/2 level of caesium atoms is about 100 μJ at a cell temperature of ∼170°C, while the efficiency of pump conversion into radiation energy with a wavelength λ ∼ 3.1 μm turns out to be ∼1 %. For rubidium atoms, an estimate of the output energy of IR radiation gives a value of ∼80 μJ at a cell temperature of 180 °C, which corresponds to an energy efficiency of ∼2.7 %.
