Assembled arrays of Rydberg-interacting atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the deterministic assembly of Rydberg atom arrays with reconfigurable geometries, enabling controlled interactions for quantum simulation and information processing, including the observation of collective Rabi oscillations.

Contribution

It reports the first realization of Rydberg excitations and interactions in reconfigurable, microlens-generated atom arrays with precise control over geometry and interaction strength.

Findings

Deterministic preparation of 2D Rydberg atom structures.

Observation of collective Rabi oscillations in optimized configurations.

Ability to tune interaction regimes from weak to strong coupling.

Abstract

Assembled arrays of individual atoms with Rydberg-mediated interactions provide a powerful platform for the simulation of many-body spin Hamiltonians as well as the implementation of universal gate-based quantum information processing. We demonstrate the first realization of Rydberg excitations and controlled interactions in microlens-generated multisite trap arrays of reconfigurable geometry. We utilize atom-by-atom assembly for the deterministic preparation of pre-defined 2D structures of rubidium Rydberg atoms with exactly known mutual separations and selectable interaction strength. By adapting the geometry and the addressed Rydberg state, a parameter regime spanning from weak interactions to strong coupling can be accessed. We characterize the simultaneous coherent excitation of non-interacting atom clusters for the state $\mathrm{57D_{5/2}}$ and analyze the experimental parameters and limitations. For configurations optimized for Rydberg blockade utilizing the state $\mathrm{87D_{5/2}}$, we observe collectively enhanced Rabi oscillations.