In Situ Imaging of a Single-Atom Wave Packet in Continuous Space

Area of Science:

• Quantum Physics
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Observing and manipulating single-atom wave packets is crucial for advancing quantum technologies.
• Existing methods struggle to precisely image and control extended wave functions in optical lattices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly image the spatial distribution and dynamics of expanding single-atom wave packets.
• To develop and validate a protocol for projecting continuous wave functions onto optical lattice sites.
• To establish a foundation for quantum gas microscopy of continuum quantum many-body systems.

Main Methods:

• In situ imaging of deterministically prepared single-atom wave packets.
• Utilizing quantum gas microscopy techniques for single-atom imaging.
• Developing a controlled projection protocol by probing the wave function's squared modulus.

Main Results:

• Excellent agreement between observed wave packet expansion and Schrödinger equation predictions.
• Demonstrated a protocol for near-perfect projection of extended wave functions onto optical lattice sites.
• Successfully imaged wave packets significantly larger than the lattice spacing.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a direct, quantitative observation of free wave packet expansion.
• The developed projection protocol is a key step towards quantum gas microscopy for continuum physics.
• This method offers unprecedented access to microscopic properties of interacting quantum systems.