A hybrid quantum system formed by trapping atoms in the near-field of a levitated nanosphere

TL;DR

This paper presents a hybrid quantum system where atoms are trapped near a levitated nanosphere using optical potentials, enabling fast cooling and atom-nanosphere binding for quantum experiments with massive particles.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hybrid system combining optical trapping and Coulomb-like potentials to enable sympathetic cooling and atom-nanosphere binding.

Findings

Coulomb-like potential increases collisional cross-section by eight orders of magnitude.

Fast sympathetic cooling of nanospheres to microKelvin temperatures achieved.

Demonstration of atom binding to nanosphere for quantum mechanics exploration.

Abstract

Near-field, radially symmetric optical potentials centred around a levitated nanosphere can be used for sympathetic cooling and for creating a bound nanosphere-atom system analogous to a large molecule. We demonstrate that the long range, Coulomb-like potential produced by a single blue detuned field increases the collisional cross-section by eight orders of magnitude, allowing fast sympathetic cooling of a trapped nanosphere to microKelvin temperatures using cold atoms. By using two optical fields to create a combination of repulsive and attractive potentials, we demonstrate that a cold atom can be bound to a nanosphere creating a new levitated hybrid quantum system suitable for exploring quantum mechanics with massive particles.