The Integration of Photonic Crystal Waveguides with Atom Arrays in Optical Tweezers

• Published in: Advanced quantum technologies (Online) Vol. 3; no. 11
• Main Authors: Luan, Xingsheng, Béguin, Jean‐Baptiste, Burgers, Alex P., Qin, Zhongzhong, Yu, Su‐Peng, Kimble, Harry J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2020
• Subjects: atoms and nanophotonics; quantum dielectrics; quantum information science; quantum simulation
• ISSN: 2511-9044; 2511-9044
• DOI: 10.1002/qute.202000008

Integrating nanophotonics and cold atoms has drawn increasing interest in recent years due to diverse applications in quantum information science and the exploration of quantum many‐body physics. For example, dispersion‐engineered photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs) permit not only stable trapping and probing of ultracold neutral atoms via interactions with guided‐mode light, but also the possibility to explore the physics of strong, photon‐mediated interactions between atoms, as well as atom‐mediated interactions between photons. While diverse theoretical opportunities involving atoms and photons in 1D and 2D nanophotonic lattices have been analyzed, a grand challenge remains the experimental integration of PCWs with ultracold atoms. Here, an advanced apparatus that overcomes several significant barriers to current experimental progress is described, with the goal of achieving strong quantum interactions of light and matter by way of single‐atom tweezer arrays strongly coupled to photons in 1D and 2D PCWs. Principal technical advances relate to efficient free‐space coupling of light to and from guided modes of PCWs, silicate bonding of silicon chips within small glass vacuum cells, and deterministic, mechanical delivery of single‐atom tweezer arrays to the near fields of photonic crystal waveguides. Integrating nanophotonics and cold atoms is drawing growing interest due to diverse applications in quantum information science and quantum many‐body physics. However, laboratory progress has lagged theory due to grand challenges in combining ultracold atoms and nanophotonic devices. Here, an advanced apparatus is described that overcomes several significant barriers toward the experimental integration of nano‐photonics with single‐atom tweezer arrays.