Atoms as large as bacteria: International experts gather on the campus of TU Kaiserslautern

From Monday, March 25th, to Wednesday, March 27th, international scientists will gather on the campus of the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (TUK). The focus of the conference is the physics of so-called Rydberg atoms. These atoms can be larger than bacteria and interact strongly with their environment – a property that makes them interesting not only for fundamental research but also for applications, such as basic elements for quantum computers or detectors for terahertz radiation. The event is part of the priority program "Giant Interactions in Rydberg Systems" (GiRyd), which has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2016.

In Rydberg atoms, an electron is excited to a highly distant orbit around the nucleus using a laser. "The orbital radius of the electron can be more than one micrometer, and the electron cloud becomes larger than a small bacterium," says Professor Dr. Herwig Ott, who researches ultracold quantum gases and quantum atom optics at TUK.

With this large extension comes an – for atomic scales – gigantic interaction, as the Rydberg atom acts on its environment like a strong atomic dipole. "For example, two Rydberg atoms can attract or repel each other over a distance of more than ten micrometers," the physicist continues.

This extraordinarily strong interaction for neutral atoms makes them interesting not only for fundamental research but also for a range of applications. "Currently, Rydberg atoms are used to investigate quantum mechanical many-particle systems or to generate exotic molecules," Ott cites as examples. Furthermore, they could be used as basic elements for quantum computers and detectors for terahertz radiation.

Since 2016, the DFG has been supporting this still young research field of Rydberg atoms with its priority program "Giant Interactions in Rydberg Systems," abbreviated GiRyd. The program is coordinated by Professor Dr. Tilman Pfau at the University of Stuttgart. As part of the workshop, one hundred national and international experts will gather at TU Kaiserslautern to exchange ideas about current developments and present their work.

The event is organized by the Kaiserslautern professors Dr. Herwig Ott and Dr. Michael Fleischhauer, who is also the deputy spokesperson of the priority program.

Questions answered by:

Professor Dr. Herwig Ott
Department of Ultracold Quantum Gases and Quantum Atom Optics
Tel.: 0631 205-2817
Email: ott@physik.uni-kl.de

Professor Dr. Michael Fleischhauer
Department of Quantum Optics
Tel.: 0631 205-3206
Email: mfleisch@physik.uni-kl.de