Spin–charge separation of dark-state polaritons in a Rydberg medium

The propagation of light fields through a quasi one-dimensional cold atomic gas, exciting atomic Rydberg levels of large principal quantum number under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency, can lead to a stable two-mode Luttinger liquid system. Atomic van der Waals interactions induce a coupling of bosonic field modes that display both photonic and atomic character, the Rydberg dark-state polaritons (RDPs). It is shown that by tunable control of the van der Waals coupling, the RDP may decouple into independent 'spin' and 'charge' fields which propagate at different speeds, analogous to spin–charge separation of electrons in a one-dimensional metal. (paper)