Observing the dynamics of dipole-mediated energy transport by interaction-enhanced imaging

Electronically highly excited (Rydberg) atoms experience quantum state-changing interactions similar to Forster processes found in complex molecules, offering a model system to study the nature of dipole-mediated energy transport under the influence of a controlled environment. We demonstrate a nondestructive imaging method to monitor the migration of electronic excitations with high time and spatial resolution, using electromagnetically induced transparency on a background gas acting as an amplifier. The continuous spatial projection of the electronic quantum state under observation determines the many-body dynamics of the energy transport.