MENU Research
The primary goal of the Quantum Optics Lab is to harness the quantum properties of neutral atoms to advance quantum technologies and further our understanding of quantum systems. In our lab, we trap and manipulate single Ytterbium atoms with optical tweezers (tightly focused laser beams). The versatility of the optical tweezer apparatus allows us to manipulate atoms to enable several applications: 1) manipulate arrays of atoms near nanophotonic structures and optical cavities for enhancing atom-photon interactions; 2) bring atoms close together to generate cooperative effects between atoms; 3) control large atomic systems for quantum computing applications. We also explore the potential of using atomic systems for quantum sensing applications. Read more about these research activities below.
Atoms and Nanophotonics
Quantum information distribution across a network of nodes is vital for harnessing the full scope of quantum technologies. Communication, sensing, and computation all depend on modular operation to achieve optimal performance. Photons emitted from neutral atoms are ideal information carriers for this system due to their coherence and ability to be entangled with atomic qubit states. The emission and collection of these photons are controlled using dispersion-engineered dielectric structures (cavities) that enhance light-matter interactions. Couping arrays of atoms to nanophotonic structures enables compact, on-chip light-matter systems for quantum technologies. The ytterbium atoms utilized in our lab are uniquely suited for these platforms due to their highly coherent nuclear spin qubit state, which is connected to optical telecom transitions ideal for long-distance communication, and their compatibility with silicon-based photonic designs. By positioning ordered atomic arrays near on-chip cavities using reconfigurable optical tweezers, our system facilitates the coherent transfer of quantum information both on-chip and over large distances. This integration is a significant step toward the development of scalable quantum technologies.
Cooperative Atom Arrays
Collective interactions between atoms in an ordered array dramatically alter the optical response of the system. This effect, first introduced by Dicke in 1954, remains an open research problem in quantum optics that can now be explored in ordered atomic systems using optical tweezers. An atom in an ordered array will experience an external driving field and the scattered field of nearby atoms at the same optical transition wavelength. Depending on the inter-atomic spacing, the scattered fields from the atoms will interfere, resulting in a cooperative response of the system, which can be constructive (super-radiant) or destructive (sub-radiant). For spacing on the order of the wavelength in a 2D array, this response results in near-perfect reflection of the incident excitation light. In an ordered atomic array, the proximity of neighboring atoms fundamentally alters the optical response of the system. This case creates an all-atomic mirror, while other geometries generate systems with other functionalities like waveguides. The strong atom-photon interactions, which are now realizable in free space, open up a new avenue of atom photonics where traditional dielectric elements are replaced by atomic systems.