JohannesZeiher

Synthetic Quantum Matter

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics

Schellingstraße 4

80799 München

+49-89-2180-6151

johannes.zeiher@physik.uni-muenchen.de

Research Website

We are excited about assembling, manipulating, and detecting quantum systems atom by atom in our experiments to learn new things about the fascinating nature of quantum many-body systems and their applications.

Description

Main Research Focus: Light-matter interfaces, Quantum simulation, Quantum computing, Many-body physics, Rydberg atoms, Cavity QED, Quantum-enhanced metrology, Neutral-atom quantum technologies

Quantum many-body systems exhibit fascinating emergent properties that arise from the interplay of the constituents. Examples include correlated phases of quantum matter in equilibrium, rich transport behaviour in low-dimensional quantum systems taken out of equilibrium and novel light-matter interfaces. Understanding such emergent properties is key to leveraging them for practical applications such as quantum computing and quantum sensing.

In our group, we assemble, manipulate and detect quantum systems atom-by-atom. In particular, we focus on combining highly coherent quantum dynamics and control featured by Rydberg atom arrays with highly efficient light-matter interfaces provided by optical cavities. Combining local manipulation with entangling operations and controlled coupling to the cavity promises a variety of applications, reaching from controlled quantum simulation of open quantum system with measurement and feedback operations, the creation of entangled states for metrological applications all the way to elementary error correction in digital quantum computers based on neutral atoms.

Publications

Realization of a Rydberg-dressed extended Bose-Hubbard model

P. Weckesser, K. Srakaew, T. Blatz, D. Wei, D. Adler, S. Agrawal, A. Bohrdt, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Science 390 (6775), 849-853 (2025).

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"The competition of different length scales in quantum many-body systems leads to phenomena such as correlated dynamics and nonlocal order. To investigate such effects in an itinerant lattice-based quantum simulator, it has been proposed to introduce tunable extended-range interactions using off-resonant optical coupling to Rydberg states, known as Rydberg dressing. In this work, we use this approach to realize an effective one-dimensional extended Bose-Hubbard model. Harnessing our quantum gas microscope, we probe the correlated out-of-equilibrium dynamics of extended-range repulsively bound pairs and ""hard rods."" By contrast, operating near equilibrium, we observe density ordering when adiabatically turning on the extended-range interactions. Our results pave the way to realizing light-controlled extended-range interacting quantum many-body systems."

10.1126/science.adq7082

Realization of a Fast Triple-Magic All-Optical Qutrit in 88Sr

M. Ammenwerth, H. Timme, F. Gyger, R. Tao, J. Zeiher

Physical Review Letters 135 (14), 143401 (2025).

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The optical clock states of alkaline earth and alkaline earthlike atoms are the fundament of state-of-theart optical atomic clocks. An important prerequisite for the operation of optical clocks is the magic trapping conditions where electronic and motional dynamics decouple. Here, we identify and experimentally demonstrate simultaneous magic trapping for two clock transitions in 88Sr, realizing so-called triple-magic conditions at a specially chosen magic angle. Under these conditions, we operate an all-optical qutrit comprising the ground state 1S0, and the two metastable clock states 3P0 and 3P2. We demonstrate fast optical control in an atom array using two- and three-photon couplings to realize high-fidelity manipulation between all qutrit states. At the magic angle, we probe the coherence achievable in magic-angle-tuned traps and find atom-atom coherence times between the metastable states as long as 715(30) ms. Our work opens several new directions, including qutrit-based quantum metrology on optical transitions and high-fidelity and high-coherence manipulation on the 88Sr fine-structure qubit.

10.1103/4kdl-xcwz

Dynamical spatial light modulation in the ultraviolet spectral range

M. Ammenwerth, H. Timme, V. Giardini, R. Tao, F. Gyger, O. Lib, D. Berndt, D. Kourkoulos, T. Rom, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Physical Review Applied 24 (3), 34031 (2025).

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Spatial light modulators enable arbitrary control of the intensity of optical light fields and facilitate a variety of applications in biology, astronomy, and atomic, molecular, and optical physics. For coherent light fields, holography, implemented through arbitrary phase modulation, represents a highly power-efficient technique to shape the intensity of light patterns. Here, we introduce and benchmark a spatial light modulator based on a piston micromirror array. In particular, we utilize the reflection-based device to demonstrate arbitrary beam shaping in the ultraviolet (UV) regime at a wavelength of 322 nm. We correct aberrations of the reflected wave front and show that the modulator does not add detectable excess phase noise to the reflected light field. We utilize the intrinsically low latency of the architecture to demonstrate fast switching of arbitrary light patterns synchronized with short laser pulses at an update rate of 1 kHz. Finally, we outline how the modulator can act as an important component of a zone-based architecture for a neutral-atom quantum computer or simulator, including UV wavelengths.

10.1103/ltnk-w67h

Fast Entangling Gates for Rydberg Atoms via Resonant Dipole-Dipole Interaction

G. Giudici, S. Veroni, G. Giudice, H. Pichler, J. Zeiher

Prx Quantum 6 (3), 30308 (2025).

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The advent of digital neutral-atom quantum computers relies on the development of fast and robust protocols for high-fidelity quantum operations. In this work, we introduce a novel scheme for entangling gates using four atomic levels per atom: a ground-state qubit and two Rydberg states. A laser field couples the qubit to one of the two Rydberg states, while a microwave field drives transitions between the two Rydberg states, enabling a resonant dipole-dipole interaction between different atoms. We show that controlled-Z gates can be realized in this scheme without requiring optical phase modulation and relying solely on a microwave field with time-dependent phase and amplitude. We demonstrate that such gates are faster and less sensitive to Rydberg decay than state-of-the-art Rydberg gates based on van der Waals interactions. Moreover, we systematically stabilize our protocol against interatomic distance fluctuations and analyze its performance in realistic setups with rubidium or cesium atoms. Our results open up new avenues to the use of microwave-driven dipolar interactions for quantum computation with neutral atoms.

10.1103/5d8p-3hm1

Bosonic quantum error correction with neutral atoms in optical dipole traps

L. H. Bohnmann, D. F. Locher, J. Zeiher, M. Mueller

Physical Review A 111 (2), 22432 (2025).

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Bosonic quantum error correction codes encode logical qubits in the Hilbert space of one or multiple harmonic oscillators. A prominent class of bosonic codes is that of Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) codes of which implementations have been demonstrated with trapped ions and microwave cavities. In this paper, we investigate theoretically the preparation and error correction of a GKP qubit in a vibrational mode of a neutral atom stored in an optical dipole trap. This platform has recently shown remarkable progress in simultaneously controlling the motional and electronic degrees of freedom of trapped atoms. The protocols we develop make use of motional states and, additionally, internal electronic states of the trapped atom to serve as an ancilla qubit. We compare optical tweezer arrays and optical lattices and find that the latter provide more flexible control over the confinement in the out-of-plane direction, which can be utilized to optimize the conditions for the implementation of GKP codes. Concretely, the different frequency scales that the harmonic oscillators in the axial and radial lattice directions exhibit and a small oscillator anharmonicity prove to be beneficial for robust encodings of GKP states. Finally, we underpin the experimental feasibility of the proposed protocols by numerically simulating the preparation of GKP qubits in an optical lattice with realistic parameters.

10.1103/PhysRevA.111.022432

Observation of Hilbert space fragmentation and fractonic excitations in 2D

D. Adler, D. Wei, M. Will, K. Srakaew, S. Agrawal, P. Weckesser, R. Moessner, F. Pollmann, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Nature 636 (8041), (2024).

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The relaxation behaviour of isolated quantum systems taken out of equilibrium is among the most intriguing questions in many-body physics1. Quantum systems out of equilibrium typically relax to thermal equilibrium states by scrambling local information and building up entanglement entropy. However, kinetic constraints in the Hamiltonian can lead to a breakdown of this fundamental paradigm owing to a fragmentation of the underlying Hilbert space into dynamically decoupled subsectors in which thermalization can be strongly suppressed2-5. Here we experimentally observe Hilbert space fragmentation in a two-dimensional tilted Bose-Hubbard model. Using quantum gas microscopy, we engineer a wide variety of initial states and find a rich set of manifestations of Hilbert space fragmentation involving bulk states, interfaces and defects, that is, two-, one- and zero-dimensional objects. Specifically, uniform initial states with equal particle number and energy differ strikingly in their relaxation dynamics. Inserting controlled defects on top of a global, non-thermalizing chequerboard state, we observe highly anisotropic, subdimensional dynamics, an immediate signature of their fractonic nature6-9. An interface between localized and thermalizing states in turn shows dynamics depending on its orientation. Our results mark the observation of Hilbert space fragmentation beyond one dimension, as well as the concomitant direct observation of fractons, and pave the way for in-depth studies of microscopic transport phenomena in constrained systems. Using quantum gas microscopy, Hilbert space fragmentation and fractonic excitations are observed in a two-dimensional tilted Bose-Hubbard model.

10.1038/s41586-024-08188-0

Universal quantum processors in spin systems via robust local pulse sequences

M. Votto, J. Zeiher, B. Vermersch

Quantum 8, 1513 (2024).

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We propose a protocol to realize quantum simulation and computation in spin systems with long-range interactions. Our approach relies on the local addressing of single spins with external fields parametrized by Walsh functions. This enables a mapping from a class of target Hamiltonians, defined by the graph structure of their interactions, to pulse sequences. We then obtain a recipe to implement arbitrary two-body Hamiltonians and universal quantum circuits. Performance guarantees are provided in terms of bounds on Trotter errors and total number of pulses. Additionally, Walsh pulse sequences are shown to be robust against various types of pulse errors, in contrast to previous hybrid digital-analog schemes of quantum computation. We demonstrate and numerically benchmark our protocol with examples from the dynamics of spin models, quantum error correction and quantum optimization algorithms.

10.22331/q-2024-10-29-1513

Rydberg Molecules Bound by Strong Light Fields

S. Hollerith, V. Walther, K. Srakaew, D. Wei, D. Adler, S. Agrawal, P. Weckesser, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Prx Quantum 5 (3), 30335 (2024).

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The coupling of an isolated quantum state to a continuum is typically associated with decoherence and decreased lifetime. For coupling rates larger than the bandwidth of the associated continuum, decoherence can be mitigated, and new stable eigenstates emerge. Here, we laser-couple diatomic molecules of highly excited Rydberg atoms, so-called Rydberg macrodimers, to a continuum of free motional states. Enabled by their small vibrational eigenfrequencies, we achieve the regime of strong continuum couplings and observe the appearance of new resonances. We explain the observed spectroscopic features as molecular states emerging in the presence of the light field using a Fano model. For atoms arranged on a lattice, we predict the strong continuum coupling to even stabilize triatomic molecules and find the first signatures of these by observing three-atom loss correlations using quantum gas microscopy. Our results present a mechanism to control decoherence and bind polyatomic molecules using strong light-matter interactions.

10.1103/PRXQuantum.5.030335

Continuous operation of large-scale atom arrays in optical lattices

F. Gyger, M. Ammenwerth, R. Tao, H. Timme, S. Snigirev, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Physical Review Research 6 (3), 33104 (2024).

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Scaling the size of assembled neutral-atom arrays trapped in optical lattices or optical tweezers is an enabling step for a number of applications ranging from quantum simulations to quantum metrology. However, preparation times increase with system size and constitute a severe bottleneck in the bottom-up assembly of large ordered arrays from stochastically loaded optical traps. Here we demonstrate a method to circumvent this bottleneck by recycling atoms from one experimental run to the next, while continuously reloading and adding atoms to the array. Using this approach, we achieve densely packed arrays with more than 1000 atoms stored in an optical lattice, continuously refilled with a 3.5 s cycle time and about 130 atoms reloaded during each cycle. Furthermore, we show that we can continuously maintain such large arrays by simply reloading atoms that are lost from one cycle to the next. Our approach paves the way towards quantum science with large ordered atomic arrays containing thousands of atoms in continuous operation.

10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.033104

Multi-controlled Phase Gate Synthesis with ZX-calculus applied to Neutral Atom Hardware

K. Staudacher, L. Schmid, J. Zeiher, R. Wille, D. Kranzlmueller

21st International Conference on Quantum Physics and Logic (QPL) 96-116 (2024).

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Quantum circuit synthesis describes the process of converting arbitrary unitary operations into a gate sequence of a fixed universal gate set, usually defined by the operations native to a given hardware platform. Most current synthesis algorithms are designed to synthesize towards a set of single-qubit rotations and an additional entangling two-qubit gate, such as CX, CZ, or the M & oslash,.lmer-S & oslash,.rensen gate. However, with the emergence of neutral atom-based hardware and their native support for gates with more than two qubits, synthesis approaches tailored to these new gate sets become necessary. In this work, we present an approach to synthesize (multi-) controlled phase gates using ZX-calculus. By representing quantum circuits as graph-like ZX-diagrams, one can utilize the distinct graph structure of diagonal gates to identify multi-controlled phase gates inherently present in some quantum circuits even if none were explicitly defined in the original circuit. We evaluate the approach on a wide range of benchmark circuits and compare them to the standard Qiskit synthesis regarding its circuit execution time for neutral atom-based hardware with native support of multi-controlled gates. Our results show possible advantages for current state-of-the-art hardware and represent the first exact synthesis algorithm supporting arbitrary-sized multi-controlled phase gates.

10.4204/eptcs.406.5

High-Fidelity Detection of Large-Scale Atom Arrays in an Optical Lattice

R. Tao, M. Ammenwerth, F. Gyger, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Physical Review Letters 133 (1), 13401 (2024).

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"Recent advances in quantum simulation based on neutral atoms have largely benefited from highresolution, single-atom sensitive imaging techniques. A variety of approaches have been developed to achieve such local detection of atoms in optical lattices or optical tweezers. For alkaline-earth and alkalineearth-like atoms, the presence of narrow optical transitions opens up the possibility of performing novel types of Sisyphus cooling, where the cooling mechanism originates from the capability to spatially resolve the differential optical level shifts in the trap potential. Up to now, it has been an open question whether high-fidelity imaging could be achieved in a ""repulsive Sisyphus"" configuration, where the trap depth of the ground state exceeds that of the excited state involved in cooling. Here, we demonstrate high-fidelity (99.971(1)%) and high-survival (99.80(5)%) imaging of strontium atoms using repulsive Sisyphus cooling. We use an optical lattice as a pinning potential for atoms in a large-scale tweezer array with up to 399 tweezers and show repeated, high-fidelity lattice-tweezer-lattice transfers. We furthermore demonstrate loading the lattice with approximately 10 000 atoms directly from the MOT and scalable imaging over > 10 000 lattice sites with a combined survival probability and classification fidelity better than 99.2%. Our lattice thus serves as a locally addressable and sortable reservoir for continuous refilling of optical tweezer arrays in the future."

10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.013401

Computational capabilities and compiler development for neutral atom quantum processors-connecting tool developers and hardware experts

L. Schmid, D. F. Locher, M. Rispler, S. Blatt, J. Zeiher, M. Müller, R. Wille

Quantum Science and Technology 9 (3), 33001 (2024).

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Neutral Atom Quantum Computing (NAQC) emerges as a promising hardware platform primarily due to its long coherence times and scalability. Additionally, NAQC offers computational advantages encompassing potential long-range connectivity, native multi-qubit gate support, and the ability to physically rearrange qubits with high fidelity. However, for the successful operation of a NAQC processor, one additionally requires new software tools to translate high-level algorithmic descriptions into a hardware executable representation, taking maximal advantage of the hardware capabilities. Realizing new software tools requires a close connection between tool developers and hardware experts to ensure that the corresponding software tools obey the corresponding physical constraints. This work aims to provide a basis to establish this connection by investigating the broad spectrum of capabilities intrinsic to the NAQC platform and its implications on the compilation process. To this end, we first review the physical background of NAQC and derive how it affects the overall compilation process by formulating suitable constraints and figures of merit. We then provide a summary of the compilation process and discuss currently available software tools in this overview. Finally, we present selected case studies and employ the discussed figures of merit to evaluate the different capabilities of NAQC and compare them between two hardware setups.

DOI: 10.1088/2058-9565/ad33ac

Observation of Brane Parity Order in Programmable Optical Lattices

D. Wei, D. Adler, K. Srakaew, S. Agrawal, P. Weckesser, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Physical Review X 13 (2), 21042 (2023).

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The Mott-insulating phase of the two-dimensional (2D) Bose-Hubbard model is expected to be characterized by a nonlocal brane parity order. Parity order captures the presence of microscopic particle-hole fluctuations and entanglement, whose properties depend on the underlying lattice geometry. We realize 2D Bose-Hubbard models in dynamically tunable lattice geometries, using neutral atoms in a passively phase-stable tunable optical lattice in combination with programmable site-blocking potentials. We benchmark the performance of our system by single-particle quantum walks in the square, triangular, kagome, and Lieb lattices. In the strongly correlated regime, we microscopically characterize the geometry dependence of the quantum fluctuations and experimentally validate brane parity as a proxy for the nonlocal order parameter signaling the superfluid-to-Mott-insulating phase transition.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.13.021042

Rydberg Macrodimers: Diatomic Molecules on the Micrometer Scale

S. Hollerith, J. Zeiher

Journal of Physical Chemistry A 127 (18), 3925-3939 (2023).

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Controlling molecular binding at the level of single atoms is one of the holy grails of quantum chemistry. Rydberg macrodimers-bound states between highly excited Rydberg atoms -provide a novel perspective in this direction. Resulting from binding potentials formed by the strong, long-range interactions of Rydberg states, Rydberg macrodimers feature bond lengths in the micrometer regime, exceeding those of conventional molecules by orders of magnitude. Using single-atom control in quantum gas microscopes, the unique properties of these exotic states can be studied with unprecedented control, including the response magnetic fields or the polarization of light in their photoassociation. The high accuracy achieved in spectroscopic studies macrodimers makes them an ideal testbed to benchmark Rydberg interactions, with direct relevance to quantum computing and information protocols where these are employed. This review provides a historic overview and summarizes the recent findings in the field of Rydberg macrodimers. Furthermore, it presents new data on interactions between macrodimers, leading to a phenomenon analogous to Rydberg blockade at the level of molecules, opening the path toward studying many-body systems of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c08454

A subwavelength atomic array switched by a single Rydberg atom

K. Srakaew, P. Weckesser, S. Hollerith, D. Wei, D. Adler, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Nature Physics 19 (5), 7 (2023).

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Enhancing light-matter coupling at the level of single quanta is essential for numerous applications in quantum science. The cooperative optical response of subwavelength atomic arrays has been found to open new pathways for such strong light-matter couplings, while simultaneously offering access to multiple spatial modes of the light field. Efficient single-mode free-space coupling to such arrays has been reported, but spatial control over the modes of outgoing light fields has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate such spatial control over the optical response of an atomically thin mirror formed by a subwavelength array of atoms in free space using a single controlled ancilla atom excited to a Rydberg state. The switching behaviour is controlled by the admixture of a small Rydberg fraction to the atomic mirror, and consequently strong dipolar Rydberg interactions with the ancilla. Driving Rabi oscillations on the ancilla atom, we demonstrate coherent control of the transmission and reflection of the array. These results represent a step towards the realization of quantum coherent metasurfaces, the demonstration of controlled atom-photon entanglement and deterministic engineering of quantum states of light. The realization of efficient light-matter interfaces is important for many quantum technologies. An experiment now shows how to coherently switch the collective optical properties of an array of quantum emitters by driving a single ancilla atom to a Rydberg state.

DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-01959-y

Mid-Circuit Cavity Measurement in a Neutral Atom Array

E. Deist, Y. H. Lu, J. Ho, M. K. Pasha, J. Zeiher, Z. J. Yan, D. M. Stamper-Kurn

Physical Review Letters 129 (20), 203602 (2022).

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Subsystem readout during a quantum process, or mid-circuit measurement, is crucial for error correction in quantum computation, simulation, and metrology. Ideal mid-circuit measurement should be faster than the decoherence of the system, high-fidelity, and nondestructive to the unmeasured qubits. Here, we use a strongly coupled optical cavity to read out the state of a single tweezer-trapped 87Rb atom within a small tweezer array. Measuring either atomic fluorescence or the transmission of light through the cavity, we detect both the presence and the state of an atom in the tweezer, within only tens of microseconds, with state preparation and measurement infidelities of roughly 0.5% and atom loss probabilities of around 1%. Using a two-tweezer system, we find measurement on one atom within the cavity causes no observable hyperfine -state decoherence on a second atom located tens of microns from the cavity volume. This high-fidelity mid -circuit readout method is a substantial step toward quantum error correction in neutral atom arrays.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.203602

Quantum gas microscopy of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang superdiffusion

D. Wei, A. Rubio-Abadal, B. T. Ye, F. Machado, J. Kemp, K. Srakaew, S. Hollerith, J. Rui, S. Gopalakrishnan, N. Y. Yao, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Science 376 (6594), 716-+ (2022).

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The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class describes the coarse-grained behavior of a wealth of classical stochastic models. Surprisingly, KPZ universality was recently conjectured to also describe spin transport in the one-dimensional quantum Heisenberg model. We tested this conjecture by experimentally probing transport in a cold-atom quantum simulator via the relaxation of domain walls in spin chains of up to 50 spins. We found that domain-wall relaxation is indeed governed by the KPZ dynamical exponent z = 3/2 and that the occurrence of KPZ scaling requires both integrability and a nonabelian SU(2) symmetry. Finally, we leveraged the single-spin-sensitive detection enabled by the quantum gas microscope to measure an observable based on spin-transport statistics. Our results yield a clear signature of the nonlinearity that is a hallmark of KPZ universality.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abk2397

Realizing Distance-Selective Interactions in a Rydberg-Dressed Atom Array

S. Hollerith, K. Srakaew, D. Wei, A. Rubio-Abadal, D. Adler, P. Weckesser, A. Kruckenhauser, V. Walther, R. van Bijnen, J. Rui, C. Gross, I. Bloch, J. Zeiher

Physical Review Letters 128 (11), 113602 (2022).

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Measurement-based quantum computing relies on the rapid creation of large-scale entanglement in a register of stable qubits. Atomic arrays are well suited to store quantum information, and entanglement can be created using highly-excited Rydberg states. Typically, isolating pairs during gate operation is difficult because Rydberg interactions feature long tails at large distances. Here, we engineer distance-selective interactions that are strongly peaked in distance through off-resonant laser coupling of molecular potentials between Rydberg atom pairs. Employing quantum gas microscopy, we verify the dressed interactions by observing correlated phase evolution using many-body Ramsey interferometry. We identify atom loss and coupling to continuum modes as a limitation of our present scheme and outline paths to mitigate these effects, paving the way towards the creation of large-scale entanglement.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.113602

Superresolution Microscopy of Optical Fields Using Tweezer-Trapped Single Atoms

E. Deist, J. A. Gerber, Y. H. Lu, J. Zeiher, D. M. Stamper-Kurn

Physical Review Letters 128 (8), 83201 (2022).

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We realize a scanning probe microscope using single trapped Rb-87 atoms to measure optical fields with subwavelength spatial resolution. Our microscope operates by detecting fluorescence from a single atom driven by near-resonant light and determining the ac Stark shift of an atomic transition from other local optical fields via the change in the fluorescence rate. We benchmark the microscope by measuring two standing-wave Gaussian modes of a Fabry-Perot resonator with optical wavelengths of 1560 and 781 nm. We attain a spatial resolution of 300 nm, which is superresolving compared to the limit set by the 780 nm wavelength of the detected light. Sensitivity to short length scale features is enhanced by adapting the sensor to characterize an optical field via the force it exerts on the atom.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.083201

Microscopic electronic structure tomography of Rydberg macrodimers

S. Hollerith, J. Rui, A. Rubio-Abadal, K. Srakaew, D. Wei, J. Zeiher, C. Gross, I. Bloch

Physical Review Research 3 (1), 13252 (2021).

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Precise control and study of molecules is challenging due to the variety of internal degrees of freedom and local coordinates that are typically not controlled in an experiment. Employing quantum gas microscopy to position and resolve the atoms in Rydberg macrodimer states solves most of these challenges and enables unique access to the molecular frame. Here, we demonstrate this approach and present photoassociation studies in which the molecular orientation relative to an applied magnetic field, the polarization of the excitation light, and the initial atomic state are fully controlled. The observed dependencies allow for an electronic structure tomography of the molecular state. We additionally observe an orientation-dependent Zeeman shift, and we reveal a significant influence on it caused by the hyperfine interaction of the macrodimer state. Finally, we demonstrate control over the electrostatic binding potential by engineering a gap between two crossing pair potentials. Our results establish macrodimers as the most sensitive tool to benchmark Rydberg interaction potentials, and they open new perspectives for improving Rydberg dressing schemes.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.013252

A subradiant optical mirror formed by a single structured atomic layer

J. Rui, D. V. Wei, A. Rubio-Abadal, S. Hollerith, J. Zeiher, D. M. Stamper-Kurn, C. Gross, I. Bloch

Nature 583 (7816), 369-+ (2020).

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Versatile interfaces with strong and tunable light-matter interactions are essential for quantum science(1)because they enable mapping of quantum properties between light and matter(1). Recent studies(2-10)have proposed a method of controlling light-matter interactions using the rich interplay of photon-mediated dipole-dipole interactions in structured subwavelength arrays of quantum emitters. However, a key aspect of this approach-the cooperative enhancement of the light-matter coupling strength and the directional mirror reflection of the incoming light using an array of quantum emitters-has not yet been experimentally demonstrated. Here we report the direct observation of the cooperative subradiant response of a two-dimensional square array of atoms in an optical lattice. We observe a spectral narrowing of the collective atomic response well below the quantum-limited decay of individual atoms into free space. Through spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements, we show that the array acts as an efficient mirror formed by a single monolayer of a few hundred atoms. By tuning the atom density in the array and changing the ordering of the particles, we are able to control the cooperative response of the array and elucidate the effect of the interplay of spatial order and dipolar interactions on the collective properties of the ensemble. Bloch oscillations of the atoms outside the array enable us to dynamically control the reflectivity of the atomic mirror. Our work demonstrates efficient optical metamaterial engineering based on structured ensembles of atoms(4,8,9)and paves the way towards controlling many-body physics with light(5,6,11)and light-matter interfaces at the single-quantum level(7,10). A single two-dimensional array of atoms trapped in an optical lattice shows a tunable cooperative subradiant optical response, acting as a single-monolayer optical mirror with controllable reflectivity.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2463-x

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