Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Optical and Quantum Sensing and Precision Metrology II

Cavity-atom arrays for network enabled optical clocks

Aishwarya Kumar

Published Mar 5, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Alkaline-earth tweezer arrays have emerged as a powerful technology for both quantum computing and sensing, due to several internal degrees of freedom for flexible error-correction, and optical clock transitions. Efficient and scalable coupling of single atoms in an array to single photons is a major outstanding challenge. With alkaline earth atoms, such an interface would enable error-correction and quantum networking of optical clocks. I will describe a new kind of macroscopic lens based optical resonator which can have wavelength scale mode waists, and thus strong coupling even at very low finesse. I will show how to make arrays of such resonators, naturally well-suited for coupling with atom arrays – in the context of our efforts to make “cavity-atom arrays” of Ytterbium, providing a scalable and parallel link to single photons, for error-corrected sensing, as well as networking of atomic clocks.

DOI
10.1117/12.3089724

Related papers

Realization of a cavity-coupled Rydberg array

Jacopo De Santis, Balázs Dura-Kovács, Mehmet Öncü +3 more

Scalable quantum computers and quantum networks require the combination of quantum processing nodes with efficient light-matter interfaces to distribute quantum information in local or long-distance quantum networks. Neutral-atom arrays have both been coupled to Rydberg states to enable high-fidelity quantum gates in universal processing architectures, and to optical cavities to realize interfaces to photons. However, combining these two capabilities and coupling atom arrays to highly excited Rydberg states in the mode of an optical cavity has been an outstanding challenge. Here we present a novel cavity-coupled Rydberg array that achieves this long-standing goal. We prepare, detect, and control individual atoms in a scalable optical tweezer array, couple them strongly to the optical mode of a high-finesse optical cavity and excite them in a controlled way to Rydberg states. We show that high-cooperativity coupling to an optical cavity -- demonstrated via the dispersive shift of the resonance of the cavity in presence of the atoms -- and strong Rydberg interactions -- demonstrated via the collective enhancement of Rydberg coupling in the atomic array -- can be achieved in our setup at the same spatial location. Our presented experimental platform opens the path to several new directions, including the realization of quantum network nodes, quantum simulation of long-range interacting, open quantum systems and photonic-state engineering leveraging high-fidelity Rydberg control.

quant-pharXiv:2602.12152•Feb 13, 2026•0 citations

Ytterbium Atom Arrays and Nanophotonics for Quantum Science

Leela Chari, Jacob Barnhart, A. P. Burgers

We present photonic crystal cavities that enable strong atom-photon coupling at telecom wavelengths, providing a scalable interface for distributed quantum technologies. Additionally, we present progress on metasurfaces for generating in situ optical tweezer arrays.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Quantum metrology with alkaline-earth atoms

Nelson Darkwah Oppong

Arrays of alkaline-earth atoms offer optical-clock qubits with long coherence times, scalability to large qubit numbers, and tunable Rydberg-mediated interactions. These features provide an ideal setting for exploring how microscopic control and entanglement can improve the performance of optical atomic clocks beyond conventional limits. This talk will cover two efforts in this area: recent results from JILA demonstrating entanglement-enhanced optical-clock operation, and a brief introduction to a new effort at Caltech towards next-generation quantum metrology with neutral-atom arrays.

Optical and Quantum Sensing and Precision Metrology II•Mar 5, 2026•0 citations

Frontiers in quantum science with Yb atom arrays

A. P. Burgers

Neutral atoms trapped in arrays of optical tweezers are a versatile platform for multiple research efforts in quantum information science. In particular, alkaline-earth atoms like Yb offer many advantages including ultralong coherence nuclear spin states for quantum information storage and high-fidelity qubit operations, optical transitions to Rydberg states for generating strong, long-range interactions between atoms, and narrow optical transitions for efficient cooling and metrology. Additionally, optical transitions from the long-lived 3P0 nuclear spin state have frequencies in the telecommunications band making integration with fiber networks and silicon nanophotonics an attractive avenue of exploration for hybrid quantum systems and quantum communication. Finally, these optical tweezer platforms are well suited for investigating the cooperative response of an array of atoms, where the proximity of neighboring atoms fundamentally alters the systems optical response which has implications for quantum information storage. Here I will present efforts to investigate these research avenues using alkaline-earth atoms in optical tweezers.

Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation•Mar 8, 2023•0 citations

Quantum networks with neutral atom processing nodes

Jacob P. Covey, Lintao Li, William Huie +6 more

In this Invited Paper, we will summarize our vision for quantum networks based on arrays of individual neutral atoms. With a photonic interface such as an optical cavity, some atoms in the array – the “communication” qubits – can establish remote entanglement while others – the “data” qubits – are used for large-scale quantum information processing or for quantum-enhanced metrology via an atomic clock transition. Deterministic gates within the array will enable operations and algorithms that are distributed among all the qubits in two or more nodes. Additionally, we will discuss our efforts to realize this vision with arrays of ytterbium-171 atoms in optical tweezers, in which telecom-band photons can be directly entangled with nuclear spin qubits without the need for wavelength conversion.

Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation•Mar 12, 2024•1 citation

Combining Nanophotonic Cavity-Arrays with Atomic Arrays: Scaling Quantum Computers and Networks

Shankar G. Menon

Neutral atom arrays have emerged as one of the leading platforms for quantum computation and simulation. Integrating these arrays with photonic interfaces, such as optical cavities, enables high-speed qubit readout, efficient atom-photon entanglement, and novel quantum simulation capabilities through long-range interactions. However, achieving scalable and efficient integration of atom arrays with photonic structures remains a significant challenge. In this work, we present an atom-array cavity-array platform that integrates cesium atom arrays with a photonic chip containing over 100 nanophotonic cavities. This platform inherently supports multiplexing by allowing simultaneous interactions between multiple atoms and multiple cavities, a crucial capability for scaling up quantum information processing and networking. To enable this integration, we develop three key techniques: (1) a backgroundfree imaging scheme utilizing excited-state transitions in cesium with fidelity exceeding 99%, (2) a photonic chip design optimized for efficient atom loading, and (3) a free-space coupling scheme achieving over 65% waveguide-to-fiber coupling efficiency. We demonstrate collisional blockade-limited loading of atom arrays near the photonic chip, parallel transport of atoms to multiple cavities, a key capability that enables the multiplexing required in quantum networks and distributed quantum computing. Finally, we show an array of resonant telecom cavities, and multiple theoretical architectures to make use of these to distribute entanglement across hundreds of kilometers. These results address critical challenges in atom-photon integration and pave the way for scalable quantum information processing.

•Jun 1, 2025•0 citations
Alkaline-earth tweezer arrays have emerged as a powerful technology for both quantum computing and sensing, due to several internal degrees of freedom for flexible error-correction, and optical clock transitions. Efficient and scalable coupling of single atoms in an array to single photons is a major outstanding challenge. With alkaline earth atoms, such an interface would enable error-correction and quantum networking of optical clocks. I will describe a new kind of macroscopic lens based optical resonator which can have wavelength scale mode waists, and thus strong coupling even at very low finesse. I will show how to make arrays of such resonators, naturally well-suited for coupling with atom arrays – in the context of our efforts to make “cavity-atom arrays” of Ytterbium, providing a scalable and parallel link to single photons, for error-corrected sensing, as well as networking of atomic clocks.
Scalable quantum computers and quantum networks require the combination of quantum processing nodes with efficient light-matter interfaces to distribute quantum information in local or long-distance quantum networks. Neutral-atom arrays have both been coupled to Rydberg states to enable high-fidelity quantum gates in universal processing architectures, and to optical cavities to realize interfaces to photons. However, combining these two capabilities and coupling atom arrays to highly excited Rydberg states in the mode of an optical cavity has been an outstanding challenge. Here we present a novel cavity-coupled Rydberg array that achieves this long-standing goal. We prepare, detect, and control individual atoms in a scalable optical tweezer array, couple them strongly to the optical mode of a high-finesse optical cavity and excite them in a controlled way to Rydberg states. We show that high-cooperativity coupling to an optical cavity -- demonstrated via the dispersive shift of the resonance of the cavity in presence of the atoms -- and strong Rydberg interactions -- demonstrated via the collective enhancement of Rydberg coupling in the atomic array -- can be achieved in our setup at the same spatial location. Our presented experimental platform opens the path to several new directions, including the realization of quantum network nodes, quantum simulation of long-range interacting, open quantum systems and photonic-state engineering leveraging high-fidelity Rydberg control.
Arrays of alkaline-earth atoms offer optical-clock qubits with long coherence times, scalability to large qubit numbers, and tunable Rydberg-mediated interactions. These features provide an ideal setting for exploring how microscopic control and entanglement can improve the performance of optical atomic clocks beyond conventional limits. This talk will cover two efforts in this area: recent results from JILA demonstrating entanglement-enhanced optical-clock operation, and a brief introduction to a new effort at Caltech towards next-generation quantum metrology with neutral-atom arrays.
Neutral atoms trapped in arrays of optical tweezers are a versatile platform for multiple research efforts in quantum information science. In particular, alkaline-earth atoms like Yb offer many advantages including ultralong coherence nuclear spin states for quantum information storage and high-fidelity qubit operations, optical transitions to Rydberg states for generating strong, long-range interactions between atoms, and narrow optical transitions for efficient cooling and metrology. Additionally, optical transitions from the long-lived 3P0 nuclear spin state have frequencies in the telecommunications band making integration with fiber networks and silicon nanophotonics an attractive avenue of exploration for hybrid quantum systems and quantum communication. Finally, these optical tweezer platforms are well suited for investigating the cooperative response of an array of atoms, where the proximity of neighboring atoms fundamentally alters the systems optical response which has implications for quantum information storage. Here I will present efforts to investigate these research avenues using alkaline-earth atoms in optical tweezers.
In this Invited Paper, we will summarize our vision for quantum networks based on arrays of individual neutral atoms. With a photonic interface such as an optical cavity, some atoms in the array – the “communication” qubits – can establish remote entanglement while others – the “data” qubits – are used for large-scale quantum information processing or for quantum-enhanced metrology via an atomic clock transition. Deterministic gates within the array will enable operations and algorithms that are distributed among all the qubits in two or more nodes. Additionally, we will discuss our efforts to realize this vision with arrays of ytterbium-171 atoms in optical tweezers, in which telecom-band photons can be directly entangled with nuclear spin qubits without the need for wavelength conversion.
Neutral atom arrays have emerged as one of the leading platforms for quantum computation and simulation. Integrating these arrays with photonic interfaces, such as optical cavities, enables high-speed qubit readout, efficient atom-photon entanglement, and novel quantum simulation capabilities through long-range interactions. However, achieving scalable and efficient integration of atom arrays with photonic structures remains a significant challenge. In this work, we present an atom-array cavity-array platform that integrates cesium atom arrays with a photonic chip containing over 100 nanophotonic cavities. This platform inherently supports multiplexing by allowing simultaneous interactions between multiple atoms and multiple cavities, a crucial capability for scaling up quantum information processing and networking. To enable this integration, we develop three key techniques: (1) a backgroundfree imaging scheme utilizing excited-state transitions in cesium with fidelity exceeding 99%, (2) a photonic chip design optimized for efficient atom loading, and (3) a free-space coupling scheme achieving over 65% waveguide-to-fiber coupling efficiency. We demonstrate collisional blockade-limited loading of atom arrays near the photonic chip, parallel transport of atoms to multiple cavities, a key capability that enables the multiplexing required in quantum networks and distributed quantum computing. Finally, we show an array of resonant telecom cavities, and multiple theoretical architectures to make use of these to distribute entanglement across hundreds of kilometers. These results address critical challenges in atom-photon integration and pave the way for scalable quantum information processing.