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Catch the atom

Liesbeth C. Venema

Published Jan 1, 2001• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Quantum mechanics reigns at the atomic scale. And although techniques exist to manipulate single photons and ions, individual neutral atoms have been hard to catch — until now.

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We demonstrate the initialization, readout, and high-speed manipulation of a qubit stored in a single 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atom trapped in a submicrometer-sized optical tweezer. Single-qubit rotations are performed on a time scale below 100ns100\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}100ns using two-photon Raman transitions. Using the spin-echo technique, we measure an irreversible dephasing time of 34ms34\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ms}34ms. The readout of the single atom qubit is at the quantum projection noise limit when averaging up to 1000 individual events.
This article is based on an interview between the two authors. Small particles, such as single photons, electrons, atoms or charged atoms (called ions), can experience a very different world from that which we usually perceive. While in our daily life, things seem to be reasonably predictable, continuous, and well-defined, in the “quantum” world of single or small numbers of particles, there are surprises and many unexpected “non-classical” behaviors. In addition to its complexity, the world of small particles opens up some very interesting possibilities for applications to practical problems. To take advantage of the amazing properties of small particles, scientists and other researchers have developed various techniques for holding and isolating photons, electrons, atoms, and ions and manipulating their behavior. In this article, we will try to give you a glance into the fascinating lives of small particles, tell you about techniques for working with them, and mention exciting new potential applications that take advantage of their unique behaviors.
Ultracold neutral atoms have emerged as a promising platform for scalable quantum computation. Universal single-qubit control requires high quality state preparation, spatially resolved manipulation, and projective readout of each qubit. For state preparation and readout, neutral atom platforms can apply techniques commonly used in quantum gas microscopes and single atom trapping machines. Furthermore, the ability to isolate the internal spin states of individual neutral atoms from both external fields and neighboring atoms allows for seconds-scale coherence times. Here, we will present progress on the coherent, site-resolved control of an array of atomic qubits comprised of neutral strontium atoms.