Three-dimensional rearrangement of single atoms using actively controlled optical microtraps

Area of Science:

• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Technologies
• Optical Trapping

Background:

• Precise control over individual atoms is crucial for advancing quantum science.
• Existing methods for atom manipulation have limitations in dynamic 3D control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate dynamic three-dimensional rearrangements of single atoms.
• To showcase the capability of holographic optical microtraps for atom manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized single Rubidium-87 (⁸⁷Rb) atoms in optical microtraps.
• Employed a spatial light modulator with phase-only Fourier masks to create reconfigurable holographic microtraps.
• Animated computer-generated phase masks at 60 Hz to guide atoms along defined trajectories in real-time.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated various 3D atom rearrangements: rotation, vacancy filling, guiding, compactification, and shuffling of up to 9 atoms.
• Achieved arbitrary placement and continuous reconfiguration of single atoms within microtraps.
• Showcased real-time transformation of microtrap geometries to control atom movement.

Conclusions:

• This method offers unprecedented control over single atom positioning in three dimensions.
• The technique is scalable and applicable to building quantum platforms for computation, simulation, and many-body physics.