  We show that an array of ultracold Rydberg atoms embedded in a laser driven
background gas can serve as an aggregate for simulating exciton dynamics and
energy transport with a controlled environment. Spatial disorder and
decoherence introduced by the interaction with the background gas atoms can be
controlled by the laser parameters. This allows for an almost ideal realization
of a Haken-Reineker-Strobl type model for energy transport. Physics can be
monitored using the same mechanism that provides control over the environment.
The degree of decoherence is traced back to information gained on the
excitation location through the monitoring, turning the setup into an
experimentally accessible model system for studying the effects of quantum
measurements on the dynamics of a many-body quantum system.
