Rydberg

Our research explores the potential of individual neutral calcium atoms, confined in arrays of tightly focused laser beams known as optical tweezers, as potential building blocks for quantum processors. In this context, qubit states correspond to distinct electronic states of the atoms, and the strong Rydberg interaction acts as the source of entanglement.
We aim to investigate calcium atoms excited to circular Rydberg states. Unlike Rydberg states with low-angular-momentum, circular states exhibit maximum angular momentum. In these states, the electron orbits far away from the core, which essentially remains a calcium ion. The interaction between the Rydberg electron and the outermost electron of the core enables both optical, as well as microwave control over the atom. This opens up a rich toolbox for cooling, trapping and, paired with the narrow-line of the calcium ion, qubit state readout [1].
We recently achieved a MOT on the 1S0-1P1 dipole transition in this apparatus (see figure 1).

Current Team Members
Silvan Koch, Wojciech Adamczyk, Dr. Claudia Politi