Entangling two transportable neutral atoms via local spin exchange.

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Computing

Background:

• Achieving robust two-qubit entanglement in quantum information science requires specific physical systems.
• Current methods using long-range interactions (Coulomb, Rydberg) face challenges with environmental coupling and cross-talk.
• Local interactions, while reducing detrimental effects, necessitate qubit transport and merging for entanglement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel method for preparing and locally entangling two ultracold neutral atoms.
• To show that entanglement can be preserved after separating the atoms.
• To develop a new protocol for verifying entanglement in spatially separated atoms.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a mobile optical tweezer to manipulate ultracold neutral atoms.
• Employing spin-exchange interactions for local entangling operations.
• Using quantum tunneling to combine and separate atoms for controlled interaction and storage.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared and locally entangled two ultracold neutral atoms.
• Demonstrated the preservation of entanglement after separating the atoms.
• Verified position-resolved two-particle coherence using local gradient and parity measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed techniques provide a framework for dynamically entangling remote qubits via local operations.
• This method is applicable to large-scale quantum registers and arbitrary spin-entangled states.
• The new entanglement-verification protocol enhances the potential for advancing quantum information science.