Cold Rydberg atom excitation mediated via an optical nanofiber

Complete control of light-matter interactions at a single quantum level is critical for quantum science applications such as precision measurements and information processing. Nanophotonic devices, developed with recent advancements in nanofabrication techniques, can be used to tailor the interactions between single photons and atoms. One example of such a device is the optical nanofibre, which provides an excellent platform due to the strongly confined transverse light fields, long interaction length, low loss, and diverse optical modes. This facilitates a strong interaction between atoms and guided light, revealing chiral atom-light processes and the prospect of waveguide quantum electrodynamics. This work highlights recent advances on optical nanofiber mediated excitation of cold rubidium Rydberg atoms for the creation of a 1D Rydberg array.