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Miniaturized Tweezer Traps Single Atoms for Quantum Exploration

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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 11, 2022 — Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and JILA, formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, developed a miniaturized optical tweezer that captured single atoms. The challenging task of single-atom captures has implications in quantum technologies, for which single atoms can provide a platform. A means to trap and manipulate single atoms is required for the operation of quantum devices such as atomic clocks and quantum computers. If individual atoms can be collected and controlled in large arrays, they can serve as qubits, which could...Read full article

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    Published: August 2022
    Glossary
    meta-optics
    Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication, and utilization of artificial structures called metasurfaces to control and manipulate light at the nanoscale level. Unlike traditional optics, which typically involve bulky lenses and mirrors, meta-optics aims to achieve similar functionalities using ultrathin, planar structures composed of subwavelength nanostructures. Metasurfaces are typically composed of arrays of...
    metalens
    A metalens, short for "metasurface lens," is a type of optical lens that uses nanostructured materials to manipulate light at a subwavelength scale. Unlike traditional lenses made of glass or other transparent materials, metalenses do not rely on the curvature of their surface to refract or focus light. Instead, they use carefully engineered patterns of nanostructures, such as nanoscale antennas or dielectric structures, to control the phase and amplitude of light across the lens's surface....
    quantum
    The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of physics that emerged in the early 20th century to explain phenomena observed on very small scales, where classical physics fails to provide accurate explanations. In the context of quantum theory, several key concepts are associated with the term quantum: Quantum mechanics: This is the branch of...
    optical tweezers
    Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic objects, such as particles or biological cells, in three dimensions. This technique relies on the momentum transfer of photons from the laser beam to the trapped objects, creating a stable trapping potential. Optical tweezers are widely used in physics, biology, and nanotechnology for studying and manipulating tiny structures at the microscale and nanoscale levels. Key...
    nano
    An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
    Opticsmeta-opticsmeta-optical elementlensesmetalensmetalens arrayatom trappingatom trapsNISToptical systemslight matter interactionquantumquantum computingsurfacesmetasurfacesoptical tweezersnanoResearch & TechnologyAmericaseducation

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