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arXiv:2410.20761 · Physical Review A

Dual-species optical tweezer for Rb and K atoms

Yangbo Wei, Kedi Wei, Shangjin Li, Bo Yan

Published Oct 25, 2024• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The optical tweezer experiment with neutral atoms is a focal topic in cold-atom physics due to its significant potential in quantum computing and simulation. Here we present the realization of a dual-species optical tweezer for both Rb and K atoms, taking a step towards creating a polar-molecule optical tweezer array. Initially, Rb and K atoms are collected using a dual magneto-optical trap and further cooled to $7\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\textmu{}\mathrm{K}$ for Rb and $10\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\textmu{}\mathrm{K}$ for K. By employing 850-nm tweezer beams, we demonstrate the ability to capture individual Rb or K atoms. The filling ratios of Rb and K can be finely adjusted by controlling the atomic densities of both species. Utilizing the postselection technique, we can create a deterministic array of two-species atoms, paving the way for future polar-molecule array formation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.110.043118

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The optical tweezer experiment with neutral atoms is a focal topic in cold-atom physics due to its significant potential in quantum computing and simulation. Here we present the realization of a dual-species optical tweezer for both Rb and K atoms, taking a step towards creating a polar-molecule optical tweezer array. Initially, Rb and K atoms are collected using a dual magneto-optical trap and further cooled to 7\textmuK7\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\textmu{}\mathrm{K}7\textmuK for Rb and 10\textmuK10\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\textmu{}\mathrm{K}10\textmuK for K. By employing 850-nm tweezer beams, we demonstrate the ability to capture individual Rb or K atoms. The filling ratios of Rb and K can be finely adjusted by controlling the atomic densities of both species. Utilizing the postselection technique, we can create a deterministic array of two-species atoms, paving the way for future polar-molecule array formation.
Abstract The optical tweezer experiment with neutral atoms is widely used for quantum information research. Here, we present a compact dual magneto-optical trap (MOT) setup for a two-species optical tweezer. Rubidium (Rb) atoms are directly captured using a vapor MOT, while potassium (K) atoms are collected via a 2-stage MOT. Both the quadratic and gradient magnetic fields required for the MOT and Zeeman slower are created by permanent magnets. With the help of the Zeeman slower, the K MOT loading efficiency is enhanced by a factor of three. After the MOT stage, we apply D 1 gray molasses to reduce the temperature of the K atoms to 9 μK. Using this apparatus, both Rb and K are loaded into the optical tweezer.
We have developed a dual-species optical tweezer array apparatus combining 87Rb^{87}\text{Rb}87Rb and 174Yb^{174}\text{Yb}174Yb atoms with a permanent hybrid Twyman-Green--Fizeau interferometer, which provides precision co-alignment of two opposing 0.6-numerical aperture (NA) objectives and the high NA beams that pass through the system. This technique is extensible to other tweezer platforms operating at high numerical aperture across widely-separated wavelengths. Here we present simultaneous trapping and single-site resolved imaging of both species in co-aligned tweezer arrays with 87Rb^{87}\text{Rb}87Rb confined at 840 nm840\ \rm{nm}840 nm and 174Yb^{174}\text{Yb}174Yb at 532 nm532\ \rm{nm}532 nm. The platform provides a foundation for hybrid quantum register operation, including mid-circuit measurements and asymmetric intra- and inter-species interactions, greatly expanding the capabilities of neutral atom arrays.
Optical tweezer arrays of neutral atoms have emerged as a promising platform for studying quantum physics. These individual atoms can be carefully prepared in single quantum states, and easily manipulated with microwaves and lasers. MHz scale interactions are accessible at several micron scale distances by exciting these atoms to Rydberg states. These arrays can also be created in arbitrary 2D geometries with the use of a spatial light modulator. Adding the capability of a second species opens new possibilities in non-destructive measurement and quantum simulation of bipartite systems with widely tunable parameters. In this thesis, we describe our efforts to build a flexible platform for studying quantum phenomena utilizing two species of atoms, sodium and cesium. In particular, we discuss the laser technology and setups required to create dual species optical tweezer arrays. These arrays are made defect-free with real-time rearrangement of atoms using a separate set of tweezers created with acousto-optical deflectors. We then describe how to excite these atoms coherently to the Rydberg state with coherence times in Cs as long as 20 microseconds. With these techniques established, we are able to probe an Ising critical point in 1D and 2D systems with up to 81 atoms. In particular, we measure and confirm the value of the universal critical exponent, η\etaη, via adiabatic preparation of the ground state at the critical point. Then, we measure the interactions between sodium and cesium atoms setting the stage for future experiments. Lastly, a theoretical proposal is presented where Rydberg atoms can be used to enhance the interaction rates of ultracold polar molecules, as well as measure their states non-destructively.
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.
Abstract We report the preparation of exactly one 87Rb atom and one 133Cs atom in the same optical tweezer as the essential first step towards the construction of a tweezer array of individually trapped 87Rb133Cs molecules. Through careful selection of the tweezer wavelengths, we show how to engineer species-selective trapping potentials suitable for high-fidelity preparation of Rb + Cs atom pairs. Using a wavelength of 814 nm to trap Rb and 938 nm to trap Cs, we achieve loading probabilities of 0.508(6) for Rb and 0.547(6) for Cs using standard red-detuned molasses cooling. Loading the traps sequentially yields exactly one Rb and one Cs atom in 28.4(6)% of experimental runs. Using a combination of an acousto-optic deflector and a piezo-controlled mirror to control the relative position of the tweezers, we merge the two tweezers, retaining the atom pair with a probability of 0.9 9 ( − 0.02 ) ( + 0.01 ) . We use this capability to study hyperfine-state-dependent collisions of Rb and Cs in the combined tweezer and compare the measured two-body loss rates with coupled-channel quantum scattering calculations.
Tweezing cold molecules Arrays of optical tweezers have been used to trap atoms, but trapping and laser-cooling molecules in this setting is tricky. Such an approach would, however, be generalizable to many molecular species. Anderegg et al. created an optical tweezer array of calcium monofluoride molecules, which were laser cooled to their ground state (see the Perspective by Kotochigova). By distinguishing between single and multiple molecules in the tweezers, the researchers were able to observe molecular collisions. Boasting exquisite control over individual molecules, the optical tweezer array platform holds much promise for extending the applications of ultracold molecules. Science , this issue p. 1156 ; see also p. 1079