Trapping single atoms on a nanophotonic circuit with configurable tweezer lattices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method to trap and transport single atoms on a nanophotonic circuit using configurable optical tweezer arrays, enabling precise atom placement for quantum optics applications.

Contribution

The authors develop a configurable optical tweezer system integrated with a planar photonic circuit for trapping, imaging, and transporting single atoms directly on-chip.

Findings

Single atoms can be transported into proximity of a photonic interface.

The platform allows for high-fidelity imaging of atoms on a photonic structure.

Potential for creating defect-free atom-nanophotonic hybrid lattices.

Abstract

Trapped atoms near nanophotonics form an exciting platform for bottom-up synthesis of strongly interacting quantum matter. The ability to induce tunable long-range atom-atom interactions with photons presents an opportunity to explore many-body physics and quantum optics. Here we implement a configurable optical tweezer array over a planar photonic circuit tailored for cold atom integration and control for trapping and high-fidelity imaging of one or more atoms in an array directly on a photonic structure. Using an optical conveyor belt formed by a moving optical lattice within a tweezer potential, we show that single atoms can be transported from a reservoir into close proximity of a photonic interface, potentially allowing for the synthesis of a defect-free atom-nanophotonic hybrid lattice. Our experimental platform can be integrated with generic planar photonic waveguides and resonators, promising a pathway towards on-chip many-body quantum optics and applications in quantum technology.