Quantum-Gas Microscope for Fermionic Atoms

Lawrence W. Cheuk, Matthew A. Nichols, Melih Okan, Thomas Gersdorf, Vinay V. Ramasesh, Waseem S. Bakr, Thomas Lompe, and Martin W. Zwierlein

Abstract:
We realize a quantum-gas microscope for fermionic K40 atoms trapped in an optical lattice, which allows one to probe strongly correlated fermions at the single-atom level. We combine 3D Raman sideband cooling with high-resolution optics to simultaneously cool and image individual atoms with single-lattice-site resolution at a detection fidelity above 95%. The imaging process leaves the atoms predominantly in the 3D motional ground state of their respective lattice sites, inviting the implementation of a Maxwell’s demon to assemble low-entropy many-body states. Single-site-resolved imaging of fermions enables the direct observation of magnetic order, time-resolved measurements of the spread of particle correlations, and the detection of many-fermion entanglement.

Related Links:

Quantum-Gas Microscope for Fermionic Atoms (Phys. Rev. Lett.)

Researchers build new fermion microscope (MIT News)

Professor Martin Zwierlein

Ultracold Quantum Gases Group

MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms