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In the Sr Rydberg lab, we have successfully trapped individual Strontium atoms using a one-dimensional array of optical tweezers. The video demonstrates a sequence of experimental cycles, during which the presence of atoms is detected via fluorescence imaging. After loading multiple atoms in each optical tweezer, the occupancy is reduced to either zero or one atom exploiting a light-assisted collision mechanism which expels pairs of atoms. On average, we achieve 40% single-atom occupancy, with atoms randomly distributed across the array, as shown in the video. This work is a significant step towards the preparation of defect-free arrays of single atoms in optical tweezers, which will be the starting point for future quantum simulation experiments. |
Rydberg atoms in optical tweezers are great for quantum technologies! We are building the first Italian platform based on programmable arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms. We use strontium, which provides states with long coherence time and state-selective transitions enabling advanced manipulation and readout schemes for novel approaches to quantum simulation and quantum computation.