Trapping Ions and Atoms Optically

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in optical trapping of ions and atoms, highlighting the potential for combining optical and ion trapping techniques to enable new quantum experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state, challenges, and future prospects of optically trapping ions and atoms, a novel approach in the field.

Findings

Optical trapping of ions has been demonstrated recently.

Combining optical traps with ions enables new quantum simulation platforms.

Optical trapping allows for scalable and versatile trapping geometries.

Abstract

Isolating neutral and charged particles from the environment is essential in precision experiments. For decades, this has been achieved by trapping ions with radio-frequency (rf) fields and neutral particles with optical fields. Recently, trapping of ions by interaction with light has been demonstrated. This might permit combining the advantages of optical trapping and ions. For example, by superimposing optical traps to investigate ensembles of ions and atoms in absence of any radiofrequency fields, as well as to benefit from the versatile and scalable trapping geometries featured by optical lattices. In particular, ions provide individual addressability, electronic and motional degrees of freedom that can be coherently controlled and detected via high fidelity, state-dependent operations. Their long-range Coulomb interaction is significantly larger compared to those of neutral atoms and molecules. This qualifies to study ultra-cold interaction and chemistry of trapped ions and atoms, as well as to provide a novel platform for higher-dimensional experimental quantum simulations. The aim of this topical review is to present the current state of the art and to discuss current challenges and the prospects of the emerging field.