Probing Rydberg States in Ytterbium: Spectroscopy and MQDT Modelling for Neutral Atom Quantum Computing

Precise understanding of the Rydberg states of Ytterbium is crucial to fully leverage the rich atomic structure for quantum computing and simulation. However, the Rydberg states are quite complex because of strong hyperfine coupling and numerous perturbed series. We have previously reported spectroscopic measurements and a comprehensively validated MQDT model for the S, P, and D Rydberg series of ¹⁷¹Yb [1]. Here, we extend this work with additional spectroscopy of the P and F series, and measurements of the Rydberg state lifetimes. We observe several interesting features, including strong variation of the lifetime across series from perturbers, and hyperfine-induced mixing between P and F series. We will also present ongoing work to measure and develop comprehensive MQDT models for 6pnl autoionizing states.

[1] M. Peper, Y. Li, D. Y. Knapp, M. Bileska, S. Ma, G. Liu, P. Peng, B. Zhang, S. P. Horvath, A. P. Burgers, and J. D. Thompson, Phys. Rev. X 15, 011009 (2025).