In the quantum regime, quantum-gas microscopes are devices that can detect individual atoms in an optical lattice. These are powerful instruments for simulating quantum systems made of many particles, like electrons in natural materials.
Most quantum-gas microscopes have been realized with alkali atoms containing one valence electron. However, unlocking quantum-gas microscopy for atomic species possessing complex electronic structures will offer new opportunities.
Unique Quantum-Gas Microscope
High-precision sensing techniques are needed in quantum physics to explore the microscopic properties of materials. Aiming to advance the technology in this field, researchers at ICFO in Barcelona, Spain, built their quantum-gas microscope named QUIONE, after the Greek goddess of snow. ICREA Professor at ICFO Leticia Tarruell leads the research team.
In the paper "A Strontium Quantum-Gas Microscope," the team discussed how they built the device that allowed them to produce images of quantum gasses with very high resolution. Their version of quantum-gas microscope is the first of its kind in Spain and is also the only one in the world that can image individual atoms of strontium quantum gasses.
QUIONE's goal is beyond merely capturing impactful photographs in which individual atoms are discernible; its main objective lies in quantum simulation. According to the researchers, quantum simulation allows them to distill highly complex systems into more manageable models and tackle unanswered questions that elude conventional computation.
In this study, the scientists reduced the temperature of strontium gas to achieve their objective. Atoms can move very slowly or not at all by applying the force of several laser beams, which can lower their temperature to nearly absolute zero in milliseconds.
At this point, the laws of quantum mechanics affect the properties of atoms, revealing novel behaviors like quantum entanglement and superposition. Subsequently, the experts used specialized lasers to turn on the optical lattice, which maintains the grid-like arrangement of the atoms throughout space. They successfully activated the optical lattice, which keeps the atoms in a grid along space.
After preparing the gas and the optical lattice, the research team used the microscope to capture images of the strontium quantum gas, atom by atom. While this breakthrough marked the success of QUIONE's construction, the team sought to push its capabilities further.
Potential Use of Strontium
Quantum-gas microscopes, derived from the analog quantum processors that have surfaced recently, have been shown to be effective tools in understanding quantum systems at the atomic level. These devices allow the detection of single atoms in extremely high-resolution photographs of quantum gasses.
Until now, these microscopy setups use alkaline atoms like lithium and potassium. These atoms possess simpler optical spectrum features than alkaline-earth atoms such as strontium. This means that strontium offers additional materials for these studies to work with.
In recent years, strontium has become particularly attractive due to its unique features for applications in quantum computing and quantum simulation. For instance, an atomic quantum processor can be made from a cloud of strontium atoms to solve issues beyond the scope of classical computers.
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