QUINTO project<p>Atom arrays</p><p>Scientists have developed ways of trapping atoms and arranging them in space using laser beams (such as “optical tweezers” and “optical lattices”). What can one do using these tools? One possibility is arranging the atoms in a regular array. </p><p>Why people find it interesting? It was found that such systems have properties much different than clouds of atoms randomly flying around. The lattice structure changes how the atoms emit and absorb light. This is because light emitted from different atoms can interfere, and a regular structure of array works like a diffraction grating. This happens especially if the distance between atoms is smaller than one wavelength.</p><p>For example, a 1D chain of atoms in a certain state emits light only on its ends. And a 2D array can act as a perfect mirror (for certain wavelength), even though it is only one atom thin.</p><p>It was theoretically shown that these effects can be used to boost the efficiency of optical quantum devices such as memories and gates, which may be used in the future for a “quantum internet” and quantum computers. </p><p><a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Physics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Physics</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Quantum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Quantum</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/QuantumOptics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>QuantumOptics</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/atoms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>atoms</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/CondensedMatter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CondensedMatter</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/CondMat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CondMat</span></a> </p><p>[1/2]</p>