• atom optics
• atomic physics
• cold atoms
• laser physics
• optics
• quantum optics
• rydberg atoms

Over the past few years, Rydberg atoms have emerged as a promising platform for exploring open quantum systems, where interactions with the environment play a significant role. Among these systems, driven dissipative systems are of particular interest as they are characterized by the interplay between external driving forces that introduce energy and dissipation processes that cause energy loss or decoherence. This dynamic interplay is central to the study of non-equilibrium phenomena. A key focus in this context is the study of absorbing state phase transitions in driven dissipative systems using ultra-cold interacting Rydberg atoms, which is an effective way to simulate the Ising model. However, previous experiments investigating absorbing state phase transitions were limited by several factors: spontaneous lifetime as a non controllable dissipation process, interactions between Rydberg states with zero angular momentum (S states), and the use of an ensemble of atoms, rather than individually controlled systems. To overcome these limitations, this thesis investigates the control of engineered dissipation and the study of how different types of Rydberg interactions (repulsive or attractive) for higher angular momentum states (P and D states) impact facilitated excitation. Additionally, it introduces a method for characterizing a dipole trap of 5 microns. This characterization is a step toward creating ordered atomic arrays using dipole traps, allowing precise control over atom positioning in controlled experiments.