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arXiv:2211.00274 · Communications Physics

Single atom in a superoscillatory optical trap

Hamim Mahmud Rivy, Syed Abdullah Aljunid, Emmanuel Lassalle, Nikolay I. Zheludev, David Wilkowski

Published Jun 29, 2023• 15 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Optical tweezers have become essential tools to manipulate atoms or molecules at a single particle level. However, using standard diffraction-limited optical systems, the transverse size of the trap is lower bounded by the optical wavelength, limiting the application range of optical tweezers. Here we report trapping of single ultracold atom in an optical trap that can be continuously tuned from a standard Airy focus to a subwavelength hotspot smaller than the usual Abbe’s diffraction limit. The hotspot was generated using the effect of superoscillations, by the precise interference of multiple free-space coherent waves. We argue that superoscillatory trapping and continuous potential tuning offer not only a way to generate compact and tenable ensembles of trapped atoms for quantum simulators but will also be useful in single molecule quantum chemistry and the study of cooperative atom-photon interactions within subwavelength arrays of quantum emitters.

DOI
10.1038/s42005-023-01271-4

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Abstract Optical tweezers have become essential tools to manipulate atoms or molecules at a single particle level. However, using standard diffraction-limited optical systems, the transverse size of the trap is lower bounded by the optical wavelength, limiting the application range of optical tweezers. Here we report trapping of single ultracold atom in an optical trap that can be continuously tuned from a standard Airy focus to a subwavelength hotspot smaller than the usual Abbe’s diffraction limit. The hotspot was generated using the effect of superoscillations, by the precise interference of multiple free-space coherent waves. We argue that superoscillatory trapping and continuous potential tuning offer not only a way to generate compact and tenable ensembles of trapped atoms for quantum simulators but will also be useful in single molecule quantum chemistry and the study of cooperative atom-photon interactions within subwavelength arrays of quantum emitters.
Molecules, with their rich spectrum of internal states as well as strong and tunable dipolar interactions, are promising candidates for a broad range of experiments including quantum information, quantum chemistry, precision measurement and probing physics beyond the Standard Model, and quantum simulation of interacting many-body systems. At the same time, the complexity that made them attractive also poses a significant challenge to achieve a high level of quantum control that is required in many of their potential applications. Multiple approaches are being pursued for full quantum control of molecules including association of atomic gases and direct cooling of molecules, yet it remains challenging to control molecules at single particle level due to the difficulty in tuning the atom-atom interaction and laser cooling of molecules. In this thesis, we achieved full control on a single weakly bound ground state molecule created by coherent optical association from single atoms. We first discuss the trapping and imaging of the atoms in the optical tweezer and the cooling into a single quantum state in order to achieve the quantum control of atoms. Combining this control with the resolution and flexibility of tweezers. we developed a versatile platform to study interactions between single atoms and properties of single molecules, using precise optical spectroscopy on pairs of atoms in the tweezer. Based on these studies, we proposed a promising pathway for coherent all-optical creation of molecules and experimentally demonstrated full control on the molecule including all degrees of freedom.
There has been a recent surge of interest and progress in creating subwavelength free-space optical potentials for ultracold atoms. A key open question is whether geometric potentials, which are repulsive and ubiquitous in the creation of subwavelength free-space potentials, forbid the creation of narrow traps with long lifetimes. Here, we show that it is possible to create such traps. We propose two schemes for realizing subwavelength traps and demonstrate their superiority over existing proposals. We analyze the lifetime of atoms in such traps and show that long-lived bound states are possible. This work allows for subwavelength control and manipulation of ultracold matter, with applications in quantum chemistry and quantum simulation.
The ability to control particles in the quantum regime at the individual particle level is a challenge at the frontier of quantum science and engineering. Of the many quantum objects developed in pursuit of this goal, ultracold molecules host rich internal states and unique inter-particle interactions that could lend themselves useful to a broad range of applications including quantum computing and simulation, precision measurements and quantum chemistry. In this thesis we present a bottom-up approach to creating single molecules in individual optical tweezers. In particular, single atoms of two different species are first trapped and cooled in individual optical tweezers then brought together to form a single molecule coherently. Using this approach, we have successfully created an array of fully quantum-state-controlled polar molecules. The quantum state – including both internal and external states – of the resulting molecules are known to us, and is the first time single neutral molecules have been under full quantum state control. This platform offers exciting new opportunities to harness the rich properties of molecules in many quantum science applications.
Optical lattices are essential tools in the field of ultra-cold atomic physics. In this study, we theoretically demonstrate that sub-wavelength confinement can be achieved in these lattices through superoscillations. This generic wave phenomenon occurs when a local region of the wave oscillates faster than any of the frequencies in its global Fourier decomposition. To illustrate this, we consider a one-dimensional tri-chromatic optical potential confining a spinless Bose–Einstein condensate of 87Rb atoms. By numerically optimizing the relative phases and amplitudes of the optical trap’s frequency components, it is possible to generate superoscillatory spatial regions. Such regions contain multiple density peaks at sub-wavelength spacing. This work establishes superoscillations as a viable method of confining a Bose–Einstein condensate in a blue-detuned optical lattice at the sub-wavelength scale.
We present an optical system designed to capture and observe a single neutral atom in an optical dipole trap, created by focusing a laser beam using a large-numerical-aperture (NA=0.5)(\mathrm{NA}=0.5)(NA=0.5) aspheric lens. We experimentally evaluate the performance of the optical system and show that it is diffraction limited over a broad spectral range $(\ensuremath{\sim}200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm})$ with a large transverse field $(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}25\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m})$. The optical tweezer created at the focal point of the lens is able to trap single atoms of 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb and to detect them individually with a large collection efficiency. We measure the oscillation frequency of the atom in the dipole trap and use this value as an independent determination of the waist of the optical tweezer. Finally, we produce with the same lens two dipole traps separated by $2.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ and show that the imaging system can resolve the two atoms.
Abstract Trapping of single ultracold atoms is an important tool for applications ranging from quantum computation and communication to sensing. However, most experimental setups, while very precise and versatile, can only be operated in specialized laboratory environments due to their large size, complexity and high cost. Here, we introduce a new trapping concept for ultracold atoms in optical tweezers based on micrometer-scale lenses that are 3D printed onto the tip of standard optical fibers. The unique properties of these lenses make them suitable for both trapping individual atoms and capturing their fluorescence with high efficiency. In an exploratory experiment, we have established the vacuum compatibility and robustness of the structures, and successfully formed a magneto-optical trap for ultracold atoms in their immediate vicinity. This makes them promising components for portable atomic quantum devices.