%0 Figure %A Kiffner, Martin %A Li, Wenhui %A Jaksch, Dieter %D 2013 %T (a) Potential curve w of the well state in the xy plane as a function of scaled internuclear spacing R/R0 %U https://iop.figshare.com/articles/figure/_a_Potential_curve_img_src_http_ej_iop_org_icons_Entities_epsi_gif_alt_epsilon_align_baseline_sub_w_/1012043 %R 10.6084/m9.figshare.1012043.v1 %2 https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1479866 %K gauge fields %K Rydberg atoms %K abstract %K Zeeman splitting %K figure %K configuration %K adiabatic motion %K Potential curve %K spacing %K boldsymbol %K motion couples %K abelian %K function %K parameter %K internuclear %K technique %K Ground State %K interaction %K Atomic Physics %K Molecular Physics %X

Figure 3. (a) Potential curve w of the well state in the xy plane as a function of scaled internuclear spacing R/R0. (b) The z-component of the artificial magnetic field for \boldsymbol{R} in the xy plane. In this spatial configuration, the x- and y-components of \boldsymbol{B} are zero. The parameters in (a) and (b) are Δ = −3|δ| (solid red line) and Δ = −1.3|δ| (black dashed line).

Abstract

We show that the dipole–dipole interaction between two Rydberg atoms can lead to substantial Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields acting on the relative motion of the two atoms. We demonstrate how the gauge fields can be evaluated by numerical techniques. In the case of adiabatic motion in a single internal state, we show that the gauge fields give rise to a magnetic field that results in a Zeeman splitting of the rotational states. In particular, the ground state of a molecular potential well is given by the first excited rotational state. We find that our system realizes a synthetic spin–orbit coupling where the relative atomic motion couples to two internal two-atom states. The associated gauge fields are non-Abelian.

%I IOP Publishing