A terahertz-driven non-equilibrium phase transition in a room temperature atomic vapour

C. G. Wade (), M. Marcuzzi, E. Levi, J. M. Kondo, I. Lesanovsky, C. S. Adams and K. J. Weatherill
Additional contact information
C. G. Wade: Durham University
M. Marcuzzi: University of Nottingham
E. Levi: University of Nottingham
J. M. Kondo: Durham University
I. Lesanovsky: University of Nottingham
C. S. Adams: Durham University
K. J. Weatherill: Durham University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract There are few demonstrated examples of phase transitions that may be driven directly by terahertz frequency electric fields, and those that are known require field strengths exceeding 1 MV cm−1. Here we report a non-equilibrium phase transition driven by a weak (≪1 V cm−1), continuous-wave terahertz electric field. The system consists of room temperature caesium vapour under continuous optical excitation to a high-lying Rydberg state, which is resonantly coupled to a nearby level by the terahertz electric field. We use a simple model to understand the underlying physical behaviour, and we demonstrate two protocols to exploit the phase transition as a narrowband terahertz detector: the first with a fast (20 μs) non-linear response to nano-Watts of incident radiation, and the second with a linearised response and effective noise equivalent power ≤1 pW Hz−1/2. The work opens the door to a class of terahertz devices controlled with low-field intensities and operating in a room temperature environment.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05597-4

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