Time-resolved Rydberg-EIT spectroscopy in low-pressure inert background gas

Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a promising technique for non-intrusive AC and DC electric field sensing. Advancing Rydberg-atom-based field measurements in plasma environments requires a detailed understanding of how inert gases affect Rydberg-EIT. A previous study of a two-photon ladder scheme in rubidium vapor cells (Phys. Rev. Appl. 21, 064004) revealed signatures of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) rather than EIT under high probe power and with several Torr of added neon gas. In the present work, we investigate the emergence of EIA by examining the transient dynamics and response time of Rydberg-EIT using time-resolved spectroscopy with a pulsed coupler beam. Our results indicate that the collisional effects influencing Rydberg-EIT are primarily driven by velocity-changing collisions between inert gas atoms and rubidium atoms in low-lying states. Progress toward theoretical modeling and numerical simulations will be presented.