Quantum Zeno Suppression of Intramolecular Forces
Author
Wüster, S.
Date
2017Source Title
Physical Review Letters
Print ISSN
0031-9007
Publisher
American Physical Society
Volume
119
Issue
1
Pages
1 - 6
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
We show that Born-Oppenheimer surfaces can intrinsically decohere, implying loss of coherence among constituent electronic basis states. We consider the example of interatomic forces due to resonant dipole-dipole interactions within a dimer of highly excited Rydberg atoms, embedded in an ultracold gas. These forces rely on a coherent superposition of two-atom electronic states, which is destroyed by continuous monitoring of the dimer state through a detection scheme utilizing the background gas atoms. We show that this intrinsic decoherence of the molecular energy surface can gradually deteriorate a repulsive dimer state, causing a mixing of attractive and repulsive character. For sufficiently strong decoherence, a Zeno-like effect causes a complete cessation of interatomic forces. We finally show how short decohering pulses can controllably redistribute population between the different molecular energy surfaces.
Keywords
AtomsQuantum theory
Born-Oppenheimer
Coherent superpositions
Continuous monitoring
Dipole dipole interactions
Interatomic forces
Intramolecular forces
Intrinsic decoherence
Molecular energies
Dimers