Probing subradiant dynamics in cold atomic ensembles via population and emitted light measurements
Abstract
In this Letter, we report on the time- and space-resolved measurement of subradiant excited state population in an ultra-cold atomic cloud of 174 Yb atoms. We use a depletion imaging technique that exploits the Λ-type internal energy structure to directly observe the time-resolved spatial distribution of excited state population. We characterize the decay dynamics of the subradiant modes using both the excited state population and scattered light intensity, finding good quantitative agreement with numerical predictions.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
Quantum optics and atomic interactions
Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Optics Letters
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1279–1279
- Publication date
- 21 January 2026
- Language
- EN