Synthetic three-dimensional atomic structures assembled atom by atom

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for assembling large, defect-free three-dimensional arrays of single atoms with high precision, enabling advanced quantum simulations and information processing.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a novel holographic, atom-by-atom assembly technique for creating large 3D atomic structures with high filling fractions and defect-free configurations.

Findings

Successfully assembled arrays with up to 72 atoms

Achieved high filling fractions and defect-free arrays

Enabled applications in quantum simulation and quantum information processing

Abstract

We demonstrate the realization of large, fully loaded, arbitrarily-shaped three-dimensional arrays of single atoms. Using holographic methods and real-time, atom-by-atom, plane-by-plane assembly, we engineer atomic structures with up to 72 atoms separated by distances of a few micrometres. Our method allows for high average filling fractions and the unique possibility to obtain defect-free arrays with high repetition rates. These results find immediate application for the quantum simulation of spin Hamiltonians using Rydberg atoms in state-of-the-art platforms, and are very promising for quantum-information processing with neutral atoms.