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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Use of Dual Optical Tweezers and Microfluidics for Single-Molecule Studies
Published on: November 18, 2022
Two-particle quantum interference in tunnel-coupled optical tweezers
A M Kaufman1, B J Lester1, C M Reynolds1
1JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Abstract:
The quantum statistics of atoms is typically observed in the behavior of an ensemble via macroscopic observables. However, quantum statistics modifies the behavior of even two particles. Here, we demonstrate near-complete control over all the internal and external degrees of freedom of two laser-cooled (87)Rb atoms trapped in two optical tweezers. This controllability allows us to observe signatures of indistinguishability via two-particle interference. Our work establishes laser-cooled atoms in optical tweezers as a promising route to bottom-up engineering of scalable, low-entropy quantum systems.
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