Rydberg atoms in the vicinity of an optical nanofiber

Abstract

Highly excited (so-called Rydberg) atoms are the key ingredient of many quantum information schemes. In this presentation, we shall theoretically investigate how spontaneous emission properties and van der Waals interactions of such atoms are modified in the neighbourhood of an optical nanofiber with respect to the free-space (vacuum) case. This work constitutes a very preliminary step towards the realization of a quantum network based on atomic ensembles linked via optical nanofibers.