Floquet driving on a pair of Rydberg atoms

In recent years, the Rydberg atom array platform has attracted much attention due to its applications in quantum simulation and information processing. To enhance the versatility of this platform, we explore the use of Floquet driving as an independent degree of control during the Rydberg excitation process. We report the observation of several types of unusual dynamics, such as facilitation of closely spaced Rydberg atoms driven on resonance, Rydberg blockade of two atoms separated beyond the static blockade radius, and population trapping. The experimental observations are backed by theoretical calculations that account for experimental imperfections including a finite position uncertainty of the atoms, Doppler shift, and Rydberg state lifetime. Overall, Floquet driving provides an additional means to control Rydberg-atom dynamics, paving the way for novel implementations of quantum simulation and gate protocols.