Measurement of the quantum defects of 85Rb P and F-series via microwave-assisted electromagnetically induced transparency spectroscopy

Abstract

We report the measurement of the quantum defects of 85Rb P3/2 and F7/2-series Rydberg levels in a room temperature vapor cell by microwave-assisted electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy. First, a novel microwave optical three-photon excitation method is employed to obtain the microwave-assisted EIT spectroscopy of the 5S1/2 − 5P3/2 – nD5/2 – (n+1)P3/2 or (n-1)F7/2 transition. Next, the Stark shifts of the corresponding Rydberg states relative to the Rabi frequency of microwave field are measured with high accuracy. Finally, the quantum defects, δ0 = 2.64142(15), δ2 = 0.295 for P3/2-series, and δ0 = 0.016411(16), δ2 = -0.0784 for F7/2-series, are forcibly extracted by the modified Rydberg-Ritz formula. This result can serve as a check on advanced theoretical calculations and promote the application of quantum simulations and quantum sensors in atomic ensembles.

Keywords

• Microwave-assisted EIT spectroscopy
• Resonant transition frequency
• Quantum defect