Collisional loss of cesium Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap

The collisional loss rates of 63S(1/2) Rydberg atoms in cesium magneto-optical trap are measured by using the state-selective pulse field ionization technique and used to investigate the interaction between Rydberg atoms. The collisional loss rate coefficients due to collisions with Rydberg atoms and ground-state atoms are obtained by fitting the experimental data. The results indicate that the large collisional loss mainly comes from the strong long-range interaction between ultracold Rydberg atoms, and the loss rate is significantly increased under a weak electric field.