Abstract
Single atoms trapped in tightly focused optical dipole traps provide an excellent experimental platform for quantum computing, precision measurement, and fundamental physics research. In this work, we propose and demonstrate an approach to enhancing the loading of single atoms by introducing a weak ancillary dipole beam. The loading rate of single atoms in a dipole trap can be significantly improved by only a few tens of microwatts of a counterpropagating beam. It was also demonstrated that multiple atoms could be loaded with the assistance of a counterpropagating beam. By reducing the power requirements for trapping single atoms and enabling the trapping of multiple atoms, our method facilitates the extension of single-atom arrays and the investigation of collective light-atom interactions.
- Received 23 January 2024
- Accepted 12 March 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.109.043105
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