Title | Alkaline-Earth Atoms in Optical Tweezers |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2018 |
Authors | A. Cooper, J. P. Covey, I. S. Madjarov, S. G. Porsev, M. S. Safronova, and M. Endres |
Journal | PHYSICAL REVIEW X |
Volume | 8 |
Pagination | 041055 |
Date Published | DEC 28 |
ISSN | 2160-3308 |
Keywords | Atomic and molecular physics, Quantum Information, Quantum Physics |
Abstract | We demonstrate single-shot imaging and narrow-line cooling of individual alkaline-earth atoms in optical tweezers; specifically, strontium trapped in 515.2-nm light. Our approach enables high-fidelity detection of single atoms by imaging photons from the broad singlet transition while cooling on the narrow intercombination line, and we extend this technique to highly uniform two-dimensional tweezer arrays with 121 sites. Cooling during imaging is based on a previously unobserved narrow-line Sisyphus mechanism, which we predict to be applicable in a wide variety of experimental situations. Further, we demonstrate optically resolved sideband cooling of a single atom to near the motional ground state of a tweezer, which is tuned to a magic-trapping configuration achieved by elliptical polarization. Finally, we present calculations, in agreement with our experimental results, that predict a linear-polarization and polarization-independent magic crossing at 520(2) nm and 500.65(50) nm, respectively. Our results pave the way for a wide range of novel experimental avenues based on individually controlled alkaline-earth atoms in tweezers-from fundamental experiments in atomic physics to quantum computing, simulation, and metrology. |
DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevX.8.041055 |