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arXiv:2510.11451 · Optica Quantum

Astigmatism-free 3D optical tweezer control for rapid atom rearrangement

Yuehui Lu, Nathan Song, Tai Xiang, Tsai-Chen Lee, Jacquelyn Ho, Zhenjie Yan, Dan Stamper-Kurn

Published Apr 16, 2026• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Reconfigurable arrays of neutral atoms are a leading platform for quantum computing, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. The most common method for atom reconfiguration using optical tweezers relies on frequency chirping of acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). However, chirp-induced acoustic lensing limits the speed of atom transport by deformation of the tweezer profile and warping of the tweezer trajectory. We use a three-dimensional acousto-optic deflector lens (3D-AODL) to mitigate both effects, a design predicted to halve current state-of-the-art long-range transport times. Additionally, we introduce fading-Shepard waveforms that bypass the finite AOD bandwidth and thus enable sustained axial displacement. We demonstrate unrestricted 3D motion within a cuboid volume of at least 200 μm × 200 μm × 136 μm, with tweezer velocities exceeding 4.2 m/s. The ability to move optical tweezers along arbitrary trajectories in 3D should enable rapid in-plane and out-of-plane rearrangement of atoms in 2D or 3D tweezer arrays and optical lattices, as well as omnidirectional trajectories and dynamical engineering of optical potentials. This technology has the potential to advance quantum control and atom manipulation in current atom-array quantum computers, boosting clock rates and enabling rapid sorting in geometries scalable to millions of qubits.

DOI
10.1364/opticaq.583554

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Reconfigurable arrays of neutral atoms are a leading platform for quantum computing, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. The most common method for atom reconfiguration using optical tweezers relies on frequency chirping of acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). However, chirp-induced acoustic lensing limits the speed of atom transport by deformation of the tweezer profile and warping of the tweezer trajectory. We use a three-dimensional acousto-optic deflector lens (3D-AODL) to mitigate both effects, a design predicted to halve current state-of-the-art long-range transport times. Additionally, we introduce fading-Shepard waveforms that bypass the finite AOD bandwidth and thus enable sustained axial displacement. We demonstrate unrestricted 3D motion within a cuboid volume of at least 200 μm × 200 μm × 136 μm, with tweezer velocities exceeding 4.2 m/s. The ability to move optical tweezers along arbitrary trajectories in 3D should enable rapid in-plane and out-of-plane rearrangement of atoms in 2D or 3D tweezer arrays and optical lattices, as well as omnidirectional trajectories and dynamical engineering of optical potentials. This technology has the potential to advance quantum control and atom manipulation in current atom-array quantum computers, boosting clock rates and enabling rapid sorting in geometries scalable to millions of qubits.
We present a novel acousto-optic lens (AOL) design for neutral atom quantum computing. This approach enhances atom rearrangement in optical tweezer arrays and addresses the speed limitations imposed by the cylindrical lensing effect of acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). By combining a double-pass AOD configuration for dynamic focal tuning with a standard pair of crossed AODs for transverse beam steering, our design enables the generation of arbitrary focal point trajectories. This configuration enables shuttling of atoms in 3D space, thereby helping to realise fully connected two-qubit gates and mid-circuit measurements. We detail the optical implementation, characterize its performance, and discuss its applications in scalable quantum computing architectures.
The ability to assemble and reconfigure individual atoms is central to performing quantum science using optical tweezer arrays. Here, we demonstrate parallel omnidirectional atom transport and rearrangement using dynamic holograms generated by a single kilohertz-rate spatial light modulator. By carefully characterizing survival and heating, we show that atoms remain confined even when successive holograms are commanded before the liquid crystal has settled, enabling significantly faster transport. To generate holograms in real time, we develop and implement a warm-start, weighted Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm that achieves performance comparable to neural-network methods without requiring any training. Combining these techniques, we assemble ytterbium atoms into a 2078-site kagome lattice with 99.0% mean filling. In addition, we demonstrate parallel transport between array layers, combining axial and transverse motion to reconfigure atoms in three dimensions. Our approach is readily adaptable to existing tweezer platforms and provides a method for large-scale SLM-based atom assembly as well as programmable three-dimensional control.
We present an optical design concept to create a two-dimensional tweezer array for neutral atom quantum computing. The first part of the setup splits the four input laser beams into 20 individual beam lines that correspond to the columns of the tweezer array. A combination of an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) and a suitable imaging lens for each beam line creates a magnified image of the one-dimensional columns in the tweezer array with a spacing of less than 200 μm. The spacing between the 20 columns is reduced to this value as well to achieve a spot array with an equidistant spacing in both axes. This is done successively in four steps by using a combination of one discrete mirror cascade and three mirror cascades integrated into monolithic mirror arrays. The final tweezer array with a spacing of 3.5 μm is then created by a two-stage telecentric demagnifying lens group. Unlike other approaches to create a two-dimensional tweezer array (e.g. crossed AODs), the use of a separate AOD for each column allows for an independent adjustment of the spacings within each column and thus a flexible adjustment of the local interaction of neighboring atoms. A raytracing analysis demonstrates that the whole setup produces a telecentric and diffraction-limited image of 20 × 100 spots in the following vacuum chamber.
Neutral-atom quantum computers offer arbitrary connectivity enabled by atom transport. Some logical operations can then be simplified or reduced entirely to geometric rearrangements of the atoms. Minimizing the duration of these movements is therefore essential for high logical throughput. We introduce new primitives to shear, rotate and reflect 2D arrays of atoms in a static lattice using sweeps of a single dynamic crossed acousto-optic deflector (AOD) pair. Using (nega-)binary and geometric decompositions, we achieve an AOD stroke count scaling logarithmically in the linear size of the array. In one example, we use the Paeth decomposition to implement a 90∘90^{\circ}90∘ rotation for a transversal Hadamard gate in a rotated surface code of distance ddd in 3⌊log⁡2(d−1)⌋+43\lfloor\log_2(d-1)\rfloor + 43⌊log2​(d−1)⌋+4 AOD strokes and O(d1/3)O(d^{1/3})O(d1/3) constant-jerk time, against O(d2)O(d^2)O(d2) strokes and O(d7/3)O(d^{7/3})O(d7/3) time for atom-by-atom rearrangement.
Acousto-optic deflectors (AOD) enable spatiotemporal control of laser beams through diffraction at an ultrasonic grating that is controllable by radio-frequency (rf) waveforms. These devices are a widely used tool for high-bandwidth random-access scanning applications, such as optical tweezers in quantum technology. A single AOD can generate multiple optical tweezers by multitone rf input in one dimension. Two-dimensional (2D) patterns can be realized with two perpendicularly oriented AODs. As the acousto-optical response depends nonlinearly on the applied frequency components, phases, and amplitudes, and in addition experiences dimensional coupling in 2D setups, intensity regulation becomes a unique challenge. Guided by coupled-wave theory and experimental observations, we derive a compute-efficient model which we implement on a graphics processing unit. Only one-time sampling of single-tone laser-power calibration is needed for model parameter determination, allowing for straight-forward integration into optical instruments. We implement and experimentally validate an open-loop diffraction efficiency control system that enables programmable 2D multibeam trajectories with intensity control applied at every time step during digital signal generation, overcoming the limited flexibility, pattern-size constraints, and bandwidth limitations of methods using precalculation and precalibration of a predefined pattern set or closed-loop feedback. The system is capable of stable real-time waveform streaming of arrays with up to 50 x 50 tweezers with minimal time resolution of 1.4 ns (700 MS/s) and a peak latency below 257 microseconds for execution of newly requested patterns. Reactive, real-time 2D multibeam laser patterning and scanning with strict intensity matching will substantially benefit parallelization and increasing data rates in materials processing, microscopy, and optical tweezers.
Assembling increasingly larger-scale defect-free optical-tweezer-trapped atom arrays is essential for quantum computation and quantum simulations based on atoms. Here, we propose an AI-enabled, rapid, constant-time-overhead rearrangement protocol, and we experimentally assemble defect-free 2D and 3D atom arrays with up to 2024 atoms with a constant-time cost of 60 ms. The AI model calculates the holograms for real-time atom rearrangement. With precise controls over both position and phase, a high-speed spatial light modulator moves all the atoms simultaneously. This protocol can be readily used to generate defect-free arrays of tens of thousands of atoms with current technologies and become a useful toolbox for quantum error correction.