Cavity-enabled real-time observation of individual atomic collisions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel cavity-based technique for real-time, non-destructive detection of individual atoms in optical tweezers, enabling observation of atomic collisions and quantum jumps with high temporal resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a high-cooperativity cavity method for fast, non-destructive, number-resolved atom detection and quantum state control in optical tweezers.

Findings

Real-time detection of atom-atom collisions

Observation of quantum state jumps and atom loss

Preparation of single atoms with 92% success rate

Abstract

Using the strong dispersive coupling to a high-cooperativity cavity, we demonstrate fast and non-destructive number-resolved detection of atoms in optical tweezers. We observe individual atom-atom collisions, quantum state jumps, and atom loss events with a time resolution of $100\ \mu$s through continuous measurement of cavity transmission. Using adaptive feedback control in combination with the non-destructive measurements, we further prepare a single atom with $92(2)\%$ probability.