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Review of Scientific Instruments

Tunable accordion optical lattice for precise control of Rydberg atom interactions in magneto-optical traps (MOTs)

Hao Zhang, Ying Miao, Yifei Cao, Xue Liang, Mingyong Jing, Linjie Zhang

Published Mar 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Precise control of Rydberg atom interactions in magneto-optical traps is essential for advanced quantum technologies, yet fine-tuning of strong Rydberg interactions remains challenging. To address this, we present a tunable accordion optical lattice with dynamically adjustable lattice spacings. By stabilizing power and polarization, we improve the power stability of the device by 56.53%, achieving lattice spacings ranging from 46.63 to 2.58 μm and generating stable interference patterns consistent with theoretical predictions. The lattice's versatility and precision enable control of atomic interactions, supporting simulations of quantum phase transitions and many-body physics while advancing quantum simulations and information processing.

DOI
10.1063/5.0253391

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Precise control of Rydberg atom interactions in magneto-optical traps is essential for advanced quantum technologies, yet fine-tuning of strong Rydberg interactions remains challenging. To address this, we present a tunable accordion optical lattice with dynamically adjustable lattice spacings. By stabilizing power and polarization, we improve the power stability of the device by 56.53%, achieving lattice spacings ranging from 46.63 to 2.58 μm and generating stable interference patterns consistent with theoretical predictions. The lattice's versatility and precision enable control of atomic interactions, supporting simulations of quantum phase transitions and many-body physics while advancing quantum simulations and information processing.
We present experimental techniques that employ an optical accordion lattice with dynamically tunable spacing to create and study bright matter-wave solitons in optical lattices. The system allows precise control of lattice parameters over a wide range of lattice spacings and depths. We detail calibration methods for the lattice parameters which are adjusted to the varying lattice spacing, and we demonstrate site-resolved atom number preparation via microwave addressing. Lattice solitons are generated through rapid quenches of the atomic interaction strength and the external trapping potential. We systematically optimize the quench parameters, such as duration and final scattering length, to maximize soliton stability. Our results provide insight into nonlinear matter-wave dynamics in discretized systems and establish a versatile platform for the controlled study of lattice solitons.
Optical accordion lattices are routinely used in quantum simulation and quantum computation experiments to tune optical lattice spacings. Here, we present a technique for creating tunable optical lattices using binary-phase transmission gratings. Lattices generated using this technique have high uniformity, contrast, lattice spacing tunability, and power efficiencies. These attributes are crucial for exploring collective quantum phenomena in highly ordered atomic arrays coupled to optical waveguides for quantum networking and quantum simulation. In this paper, we demonstrate adjustable-period lattices that are ideally suited for use with optical nanofibers.
We demonstrate a method to create dynamic optical lattices with lattice constant tunable down to the optical wavelength limit. The periodicity of 1D lattice is to be adjusted by rotating the incoming direction of one of the two interfering laser beams with its fiber port. The relative phase between the stationary and rotating lasers are stabilized with a heterodyne phase-lock loop (Ma et al, Opt. Lett. 19, 1777, 1994), by reflecting part of the rotating laser beam back from a cylindrical mirror near the experiment. Our preliminary demonstration shows tuning of lattice constant λ2sinθ/2, limited by our imaging resolution, between θ = 3° and 20°, with stable and tunable phase. The results can be extended to achieve lattice constant tuning range from ∼ 10λ down to λ/2. We discuss extension of the demonstrated scheme for improved vibration suppression, and for lattice utilizing broadband lasers. Finally we propose a 2D accordion lattice design for quantum gas experiments.
Creating ultracold Rydberg atoms in lattices imprinted with a spatial light modulator offers the possibility to simulate quantum processes. Strong dipole forces between Rydberg atoms provide the required correlations between lattice sites. With a high ground-state atomic density per lattice site, blockade phenomenon may induce single Rydberg atom occupancy per lattice site. Readout of resulting patterns requires single-atom detection with spatial resolution. The grand challenge is to create systems of interacting Rydberg atoms with scalability. So far, we have achieved spatial imaging of Rydberg atoms using ion optics and incorporated in-vacuo aberration correction for imprinted light patterns. Presently, we are studying the effect of dipole blockade on Rydberg excitation statistics. For this we have set up a tuneable Rydberg excitation laser system using an ultra stable reference. Measurements of spatial correlation functions show that achieving a blockade radius of 10 μm is possible. Combined with a dark-spot MOT, this is sufficient to achieve precisely one Rydberg atom per lattice site.
The experimental realization of 2D Bose gases with a tunable interaction strength is an important challenge for the study of ultracold quantum matter. Here we report on the realization of an optical accordion creating a lattice potential with a spacing that can be dynamically tuned between 11 μ\,\muμm and 2 μ\,\muμm. We show that we can load ultracold 87^{87}87Rb atoms into a single node of this optical lattice in the large spacing configuration and then decrease nearly adiabatically the spacing to reach a strong harmonic confinement with frequencies larger than ωz/2π=10 \omega_z/2\pi=10\,ωz​/2π=10kHz. Atoms are trapped in an additional flat-bottom in-plane potential that is shaped with a high resolution. By combining these tools we create custom-shaped uniform 2D Bose gases with tunable confinement along the transverse direction and hence with a tunable interaction strength.
Optical accordion lattices are routinely used in quantum simulation and quantum computation experiments to tune optical lattice spacings. Here, we present a technique for creating tunable optical lattices using binary-phase transmission gratings. Lattices generated using this technique have high uniformity, contrast, lattice spacing tunability, and power efficiencies. These attributes are crucial for exploring collective quantum phenomena in highly ordered atomic arrays coupled to optical waveguides for quantum networking and quantum simulation. In this paper, we demonstrate adjustable-period lattices that are ideally suited for use with optical nanofibers.