Extended Data Fig. 2. Rydberg lifetime.

a, Pseudo-level diagram of the Rydberg dynamics and associated decay channels. During Rydberg evolution with Rabi frequency Ω, the Rydberg atom can decay either into a set of states which is ‘bright’ to the imaging process (including both the erasure images and the final detection images), e.g states like 5s5p ³P₂, or into states which are ‘dark’ to the imaging process, e.g. nearby Rydberg states. A small percentage of decays into ‘bright’ states can go directly into ³P₀ where they can be re-excited by the Rydberg driving; note that such decays are dark in the erasure image, but bright in the final detection image. b, Measurement of the dark state decay lifetime, measured by performing a π-pulse on the Rydberg transition, waiting a variable amount of time, and then returning atoms to the ground state (inset). c, Measurement of the bright state decay lifetime, measured by performing a Rydberg π-pulse, waiting, and then performing an auto-ionization pulse to destroy any remaining Rydberg or dark state excitations. d, We prepare atoms into ³P₂ (a bright state), and then perform continuous Rydberg driving. Atoms are lost from the trap at a rate which increases with increasing Rabi frequency. e, The lifetime of atoms in ³P₂ scales inversely with the square of the Rabi frequency (i.e. scales inversely with the intensity of the Rydberg beam). We attribute this to a photo-ionization process which can convert bright state decay into dark state decay through prolonged Rydberg excitation, as shown in a. Markers in b-d are experimental data where error bars are often smaller than the marker sizes, and solid lines represent exponential fits.