Rydberg-Rydberg interaction strengths and dipole blockade radii in the presence of Förster resonances

Abstract

Achieving a substantial blockade radius is crucial for developing scalable and efficient quantum communication and computation. In this theoretical study, we present the enhancement of the Rydberg blockade radius by utilizing Förster resonance. This phenomenon occurs when the energy difference between two initial Rydberg states closely matches that between the corresponding final Rydberg states, giving rise to a resonant energy transfer process. We employ quantum defect theory to numerically calculate the 87Rb–87Rb Rydberg atomic pair, enabling us to accurately estimate the van der Waals interaction. Our investigation reveals that when the principal quantum numbers of two Rydberg states differ only slightly, the Förster transition is rarely able to achieve a large blockade radius. However, in cases where the principal quantum numbers differ significantly, we substantially improve the Rydberg blockade radius. Most notably, we identify transition channels exhibiting an extensive blockade radius, surpassing 50 μm. This significant increase in the blockade radius enables larger-scale quantum operations and advances quantum technologies, with broad implications for achieving long-range quantum entanglement and robust quantum processes.