Hybrid collective quantum states of optically trapped neutral atoms and nanoparticles

Generating non-Gaussian quantum states of motion of an optically trapped silica nanoparticle has been a long-standing goal in levitated optomechanics. The main challenge is that its oscillation amplitude in the quantum ground state is orders of magnitude smaller than any pertinent nonlinear optical potential. Conversely, the wave packet size of an optically trapped neutral atom in its ground state is comparable to the laser wavelength, making it straightforward to prepare macroscopic superposition states through state-dependent forces.This project aims to generate collective quantum states of the motion of a single neutral Cesium atom and a silica nanoparticle. The intrinsic interface provided by the optically mediated interactions offers a feasible route for realizing genuine non-classical states in the nanoparticle’s center-of-mass degree of freedom. My research will focus on three objectives: (i) creating hybrid tweezer arrays of atoms and nanoparticles, (ii) interfacing them through light-induced dipole-dipole interaction, and (iii) leveraging this coupling to entangle the atom and particle motion. Altogether, this will enable the transfer of non-Gaussian states of motion from the atom to the particle, with potential applications for genuine quantum-enhanced sensing and the measurement of Casimir forces and blackbody radiation.The Hybrid Quantum Atom-Particle (HYQAP) platform becomes possible through a unique synergy of novel methods from quantum optomechanics and atomic physics. Specifically, a high-finesse optical bowtie cavity that enables quantum coherent control will be integrated with tweezer arrays created by acousto-optical deflectors for arbitrary dynamic shaping of traps and interactions, while the single-site imaging will allow us to read out the collective states. These methods have been demonstrated independently for atoms and silica particles, rendering this the ideal moment to bring them together into a hybrid quantum system.