Super-resolution optical trapping of multiple cold atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of super-resolved optical tweezers capable of trapping individual atoms at subwavelength distances, enhancing trap density for quantum processing.

Contribution

It introduces a superoscillatory light structuring method to generate subwavelength optical traps with phase control, enabling closer atom trapping than traditional diffraction limits.

Findings

Successfully trapped single atoms in four super-resolved tweezers

Achieved trap separations below the Sparrow diffraction limit

Controlled atom hopping and reshuffling through phase adjustments

Abstract

Arrays of optical tweezers form the backbone of neutral atoms analog and digital quantum processors. However, the inter-trap distance remains generally much larger than the size of the tweezers to avoid interference-induced trap distortions, limiting the trap density. Here, we report single-atom trapping in four super-resolved tweezers, meaning with a separation below the Sparrow diffraction limit. The optical pattern is generated using superoscillatory phenomenon leading to subwavelength traps with full control of the trap relative phases. We investigate two sets of relative phases that impede or allow the hopping and the reshuffling of atoms. We envision that superoscillatory light structuring will bridge the gap between large-distance traps generated by tweezer arrays and short-distance traps formed with optical lattices.