This book details groundbreaking experiments for the sensing and imaging of terahertz-frequency electromagnetic radiation (THz) using Rydberg atoms. The major advances described include the development and implementation of a new technique for THz imaging using atomic fluorescence; the demonstration of a THz-driven phase transition in room-temperature atomic vapour; and a novel method for probing the excited-state dynamics of atoms using quantum beats. The work has formed the basis for several articles published in journals including Nature Photonics and the Physical Review, and has sparked industry interest, becoming the subject of ongoing collaborative research and development. This exceptionally well-written book provides a definitive account of terahertz sensing with Rydberg atoms.

Autorentext
Chris Wade studied Theoretical and Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2012. In the same year he began his PhD in the Atomic and Molecular Physics group at Durham University, supervised by Dr. Kevin Weatherill and Prof. Charles Adams. He now works as a postdoc in the Ultrafast and Quantum Optics group at the University of Oxford, led by Prof. Ian Walmsley.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Atomic Structure and Atom-light Interactions.- Experimental Methods.- Probing an Excited State Transition Using Quantum Beats.- Intrinsic Rydberg Optical Bistability.-Terahertz Electrometry with Rydberg EIT.- Real-time Near-?eld Terahertz Field Imaging.-Terahertz-driven Phase Transition in a Hot Rydberg Vapour.- Summary and Outlook.