In vacuum metasurface for optical microtrap array

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a compact, chip-scale metasurface that generates a 3x3 optical tweezer array in vacuum, replacing bulky optics and enabling more stable, scalable quantum technologies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel metasurface design for static optical tweezer arrays in vacuum, reducing system complexity and enhancing stability for quantum applications.

Findings

Successful trapping of atomic ensemble array validated by fluorescence counts

Metasurface design achieves dual-wavelength independent control

Potential for compact, portable quantum sensors and simulators

Abstract

Optical tweezer arrays of laser-cooled and individual controlled particles have revolutionized the atomic, molecular and optical physics, and they afford exquisite capabilities for applications in quantum simulation of many-body physics, quantum computation and quantum sensing. Underlying this development is the technical maturity of generating scalable optical beams, enabled by active components and high numerical aperture objective. However, such a complex combination of bulk optics outside the vacuum chamber is very sensitive to any vibration and drift. Here we demonstrate the generation of 3*3 static tweezer array with a single chip-scale multifunctional metasurface element in vacuum, replacing the meter-long free space optics. Fluorescence counts on the camera validates the successfully trapping of the atomic ensemble array. Further, we discuss the strategy to achieve low scattering and crosstalk, where a metasurface design featuring dual-wavelength independent control is included. Our results, together with other recent development in integrated photonics for cold atoms, could pave the way for compact and portable quantum sensors and simulators in platforms of neutral atom arrays.