Quantum Optics with Atomic Ensembles and Arrays

这项研究将探索利用捕获在聚焦激光光束中的超冷原子来创建和运动多粒子量子态。当这些原子处于高激发(里德堡)原子态时，它们相互作用强烈，迅速导致许多原子以一种非常基本的方式相互连接的情况(所谓的“量子纠缠”)。随后将研究原子态的演化和退相干(消除纠缠)。多粒子纠缠态的高效产生将对基础物理研究产生影响，并推动量子增强测量技术的发展。这项研究还将为量子计算和通信、用于导航和磁学的量子传感器以及原子钟的新兴技术应用提供信息。这些实验以单个原子和原子团的阵列为特色，这些原子和原子团被冷却到微开尔文温度，每个原子都受到强烈聚焦的激光束的限制。俘获场的频率是这样选择的，即限制对基态和里德堡原子能级是不敏感的。这种方法允许强相互作用原子的受控演化，允许在几十微秒的时间尺度上产生多原子纠缠态，并允许在地面超精细流形内进行秒尺度的纠缠存储。将探索创建和控制高度纠缠态的方法及其在量子限制计量学中的应用。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research will explore the creation and motion of many-particle quantum states using ultra-cold atoms trapped in focused laser beams. When these atoms are placed into highly-excited (Rydberg) atomic states, they interact with each other strongly, rapidly leading to a situation in which many atoms are interconnected in a very fundamental way (so-called "quantum entanglement). Subsequent evolution and decoherence (removal of the entanglement) of atomic states will be studied. Efficient production of multi-particle entangled states will impact fundamental physics investigations and advance quantum-enhanced measurement techniques. This research will also inform emerging technological applications of quantum computation and communication, quantum sensors for navigation and magnetometry, and atomic clocks. The experiments feature an array of individual atoms and atomic ensembles cooled to microKelvin temperatures, each confined by a strongly focused laser beam. The frequency of the trapping field is chosen such that confinement is state-insensitive with respect to ground and Rydberg atomic levels. This approach allows for controlled evolution of strongly-interacting atoms, permitting generation of multi-atom entangled states on the timescale of tens of microseconds and allowing for second-scale entanglement storage within ground hyperfine manifolds. Methods of creating and controlling highly-entangled states and their applications to quantum-limited metrology will be explored.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.