Quantum optics and sensing

We developed a novel, simple, and highly compact electrode assembly design that allows us to fully control the electric field in the vicinity of the atoms without restricting high NA optical access. We achieve instantaneous stray electric field cancellation to better than 10 mV/cm, with drifts of no more than 20 mV/cm over a few hours and 50 mV/cm day-to-day. This level of electric control is essential for atoms excited to high n or high angular momentum l Rydberg states. Our design can be implemented in almost any glass cell with little to no modifications.

Rydberg quantum sensors

The most common sensing application for Rydberg atoms is to measure electric fields. Compared to traditional dipole antenna sensors, atoms are self-calibrating, minimally perturbative (without metal parts), and maintain near-constant sensitivity across a wide bandwidth (from DC to THz). In this context, mutual interactions between atoms, which are essential in quantum optics and quantum information processing, becomes a limitation. We are interested in exploring the role of atomic interactions in typical sensing scenarios, aiming to mitigate their negative effects and potentially repurpose them to enhance sensing. At the same time, we are broadly examining sensing contexts to identify opportunities where different forms of atomic interactions may be useful.