Recent experimental progress with Alkaline-Earth atoms has opened the door to quantum computing schemes in which qubits are encoded in long-lived nuclear spin states, and the metastable electronic states of these species are used for manipulation and readout of the qubits. Here we discuss a variant of these schemes, in which gate operations are performed in nuclear-spin-dependent optical lattices, formed by near-resonant coupling to the metastable excited state. This provides an alternative to a previous scheme [A. J. Daley, M. M. Boyd, J. Ye, and P. Zoller, Phys. Rev. Lett 101, 170504 (2008)], which involved independent lattices for different electronic states. As in the previous case, we show how existing ideas for quantum computing with Alkali atoms such as entanglement via controlled collisions can be freed from important technical restrictions. We also provide additional details on the use of collisional losses from metastable states to perform gate operations via a lossy blockade mechanism.
We study transport properties of alkaline-earth atoms governed by the Kondo Lattice Hamiltonian plus a harmonic confining potential, and suggest simple dynamical probes of several different regimes of the phase diagram that can be implemented with current experimental techniques. In particular, we show how Kondo physics at strong coupling, low density, and in the heavy fermion phase is manifest in the dipole oscillations of the conduction band upon displacement of the trap center.
We study spin liquid phases of spin-5/2 alkaline earth atoms on a honeycomb lattice at finite temperatures. Our analysis is based on a Gutzwiller projection variational approach recast to a path-integral formalism. In the framework of a saddle-point approximation we determine spin liquid phases with lowest free energy and study their temperature dependence. We identify a critical temperature, where all the spin liquid phases melt and the system goes to the paramagnetic phase. We also study the stability of the saddle-point solutions and show that a time-reversal symmetry breaking state, a so c…
We calculate experimentally relevant properties of trapped fermionic alkaline earth atoms in an optical lattice, modeled by the SU(N) Hubbard model. Our calculation is accurate when the temperature is much larger than the tunneling rate, similar to current regimes in ultracold atom experiments. In addition to exploring the Mott insulator-metal crossover, we calculate final temperatures achieved by the standard experimental protocol of adiabatically ramping from a non-interacting gas, as a function of initial gas temperature and final state lattice parameters. Of particular experimental interes…
Earth-alkaline-like atoms with ultra-narrow transitions open the door to a new regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics. That regime is characterized by a critical photon number that is many orders of magnitude smaller than what can be achieved in conventional systems. We show that it is possible to achieve superradiance in steady state with such systems. We discuss the basic underlying mechanisms as well as the key experimental requirements
We investigate the Kondo effect in an open quantum system, motivated by recent experiments with ultracold alkaline-earth(-like) atoms. Because of inelastic collisions and the associated atom losses, this system is described by a complex-valued Kondo interaction and provides a non-Hermitian extension of the Kondo problem. We show that the non-Hermiticity induces anomalous reversion of renormalization-group flows which violate the $g$-theorem due to non-unitarity and produce a quantum phase transition unique to non-Hermiticity. Furthermore, we exactly solve the non-Hermitian Kondo Hamiltonian us…
Trapped neutral atoms have become a prominent platform for quantum science, where entanglement fidelity records have been set using highly-excited Rydberg states. However, controlled two-qubit entanglement generation has so far been limited to alkali species, leaving the exploitation of more complex electronic structures as an open frontier that could lead to improved fidelities and fundamentally different applications such as quantum-enhanced optical clocks. Here we demonstrate a novel approach utilizing the two-valence electron structure of individual alkaline-earth Rydberg atoms. We find fi…
We show that Ramsey spectroscopy of fermionic alkaline-earth atoms in a square-well trap provides an efficient and accurate estimate for the eigenspectrum of a density matrix whose $n$ copies are stored in the nuclear spins of $n$ such atoms. This spectrum estimation is enabled by the high symmetry of the interaction Hamiltonian, dictated, in turn, by the decoupling of the nuclear spin from the electrons and by the shape of the square-well trap. Practical performance of this procedure and its potential applications to quantum computing, quantum simulation, and time-keeping with alkaline-earth …
Alkaline-earth(-like) ultracold atoms, trapped in optical lattices and in the presence of an external gauge field, can stabilise Mott insulating phases characterised by density and magnetic order. We show that this property can be used to realise a topological fractional pump. Our analysis is based on a many-body adiabatic expansion and on time-dependent matrix-product-states numerical simulations. We characterise the pumping protocol by including both finite-size and non-adiabatic corrections. For a specific form of atom-atom interaction, we present an exactly-solvable model of a fractional p…
Alkaline-earth-metal atoms exhibit long-range dipolar interactions, which are generated via the coherent exchange of photons on the 3P_0-3D_1-transition of the triplet manifold. In case of bosonic strontium, which we discuss here, this transition has a wavelength of 2.7 μm and a dipole moment of 2.46 Debye, and there exists a magic wavelength permitting the creation of optical lattices that are identical for the states 3P_0 and 3D_1. This interaction enables the realization and study of mixtures of hard-core lattice bosons featuring long-range hopping, with tuneable disorder and anisotropy. We…
We discuss the quantum simulation of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states for interacting fermions in quasi-one-dimensional gases of alkaline-earth-like atoms such as $^{173}$Yb. Taking advantage of the separation of orbital and nuclear-spin degrees of freedom in these atoms, we consider Raman-assisted spin-orbit couplings in the clock states, which, together with the spin-exchange interactions in the clock-state manifolds, give rise to SPT states for interacting fermions. We numerically investigate the phase diagram of the system, and study the phase transitions between the SPT phase a…
We investigate one dimensional SU$(N)$ Hubbard chains at zero temperature, which can be emulated with ultracold alkaline earth atoms, by using the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG), Bethe ansatz (BA), and bosonization. We compute experimental observables and use the DMRG to benchmark the accuracy of the Bethe ansatz for $N>2$ where the BA is only approximate. In the worst case, we find a relative error $ε\lesssim 4%$ in the BA ground state energy for $N \leq 4$ at filling 1/N, which is due to the fact that BA improperly treats the triply and higher occupied states. Using the DMRG for…
We present a complete scheme for quantum information processing using the unique features of alkaline earth atoms. We show how two completely independent lattices can be formed for the $^1$S$_0$ and $^3$P$_0$ states, with one used as a storage lattice for qubits encoded on the nuclear spin, and the other as a transport lattice to move qubits and perform gate operations. We discuss how the $^3$P$_2$ level can be used for addressing of individual qubits, and how collisional losses from metastable states can be used to perform gates via a lossy blockade mechanism.
Dipole-phonon quantum logic (DPQL) leverages the interaction between polar molecular ions and the motional modes of a trapped-ion Coulomb crystal to provide a potentially scalable route to quantum information science. Here, we study a class of candidate molecular ions for DPQL, the cationic alkaline-earth monoxides and monosulfides, which possess suitable structure for DPQL and can be produced in existing atomic ion experiments with little additional complexity. We present calculations of DPQL operations for one of these molecules, CaO$^+$, and discuss progress towards experimental realization…
Fermionic alkaline-earth atoms have unique properties that make them attractive candidates for the realization of novel atomic clocks and degenerate quantum gases. At the same time, they are attracting considerable theoretical attention in the context of quantum information processing. Here we demonstrate that when such atoms are loaded in optical lattices, they can be used as quantum simulators of unique many-body phenomena. In particular, we show that the decoupling of the nuclear spin from the electronic angular momentum can be used to implement many-body systems with an unprecedented degre…
Ultracold gases of fermionic alkaline-earth (like) atoms are hopeful candidates for the quantum simulation of many-body physics induced by magnetic impurities (e.g., the Kondo physics), because there are spin-exchange interactions (SEIs) between two atoms in the electronic ground ($^1$S$_0$) and metastable ($^3$P) state, respectively. Nevertheless, this SEI cannot be tuned via magnetic Feshbach resonance. In this work we propose three methods to control the SEI between one atom in the $^1$S$_0$ state and another atom in the $^3$P$_2$ states or $^3$P$_2$-$^3$P$_0$ dressed states, with one or tw…
Precision probing of ionic-core transitions in alkaline-earth Rydberg atoms
Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka（大阪大学工学研究科）；Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology, The University of Osaka（大阪大学量子信息与量子生物学中心）
We demonstrate single-shot imaging and narrow-line cooling of individual alkaline earth atoms in optical tweezers; specifically, strontium-88 atoms trapped in $515.2~\text{nm}$ light. We achieve high-fidelity single-atom-resolved imaging by detecting photons from the broad singlet transition while cooling on the narrow intercombination line, and extend this technique to highly uniform two-dimensional arrays of $121$ tweezers. Cooling during imaging is based on a previously unobserved narrow-line Sisyphus mechanism, which we predict to be applicable in a wide variety of experimental situations.…
We study the formation and destabilization of dark states in a single trapped 88Sr+ ion caused by the cooling and repumping laser fields required for Doppler cooling and fluorescence detection of the ion. By numerically solving the time-dependent density matrix equations for the eight-level system consisting of the sublevels of the 5s 2S1/2, 5p 2P1/2, and 4d 2D3/2 states, we analyze the different types of dark states and how to prevent them in order to maximize the scattering rate, which is crucial for both the cooling and the detection of the ion. The influence of the laser linewidths and ion…
We propose and analyze a novel approach to quantum information processing, in which multiple qubits can be encoded and manipulated using electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom associated with individual alkaline-earth atoms trapped in an optical lattice. Specifically, we describe how the qubits within each register can be individually manipulated and measured with sub-wavelength optical resolution. We also show how such few-qubit registers can be coupled to each other in optical superlattices via conditional tunneling to form a scalable quantum network. Finally, potential applications to qu…
Rydberg atoms are ideal tools for quantum technologies. Due to their large size, their dipole-dipole interaction at micrometer-scale distances and their coupling to external fields are huge. Recent experiments vividly exhibit their interest for quantum simulation, in spite of limitations due to the relatively short lifetime of optically-accessible Rydberg levels. These limitations motivate a renewed interest for the long-lived circular Rydberg states . However, detecting them is so far either destructive or complex. Moreover, alkali circular states can be manipulated only by microwave fields, …
Neutral atom qubits with Rydberg-mediated interactions are a leading platform for developing large-scale coherent quantum systems. In the majority of experiments to date, the Rydberg states are not trapped by the same potential that confines ground state atoms, resulting in atom loss and constraints on the achievable interaction time. In this work, we demonstrate that the Rydberg states of an alkaline earth atom, ytterbium, can be stably trapped by the same red-detuned optical tweezer that also confines the ground state, by leveraging the polarizability of the Yb$^+$ ion core. Using the previo…
A suitable scheme to continuously create inversion on an optical clock transition with negligible perturbation is a key missing ingredient required to build an active optical atomic clock. Re- pumping of the atoms on the narrow transition typically needs several pump lasers in a multi step process involving several auxiliary levels. In general this creates large effective level shifts and a line broadening, strongly limiting clock accuracy. Here we present an extensive theoretical study for a realistic multi-level implementation in search of parameter regimes where a sufficient inversion can b…
Scalable, local control over gate operations is an outstanding challenge in the field of quantum computing and programmable quantum simulation with Rydberg atom arrays. One approach is to use a global field to excite atoms to the Rydberg state, and tune individual atoms in and out of resonance via local light shifts. In this work, we point out that photon scattering errors from light shifts can be significantly reduced if the light shift is applied to the Rydberg state instead of the ground state, which can be realized in Rydberg states of alkaline earth atoms using optical transitions in the …
We propose a cold atom implementation to attain the continuum limit of (1+1)-d CP(N-1) quantum field theories. These theories share important features with (3+1)-d QCD, such as asymptotic freedom and $θ$ vacua. Moreover, their continuum limit can be accessed via the mechanism of dimensional reduction. In our scheme, the CP(N-1) degrees of freedom emerge at low energies from a ladder system of SU(N) quantum spins, where the N spin states are embodied by the nuclear Zeeman states of alkaline-earth atoms, trapped in an optical lattice. Based on Monte Carlo results, we establish that the continuum…
Investigating Roles of Triple Excitations for High-precision Determination of Clock Properties of Alkaline Earth Metal Singly Charged Ions
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory（物理研究实验室原子、分子与光学物理分部）；Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar（甘地纳加尔印度理工学院）
Anomalously enhanced lifetimes of low angular momentum Rydberg states in singly charged alkaline-earth metal ions
Institut für Theoretische Physik and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Tübingen（蒂宾根大学理论物理研究所与集成量子科学与技术中心）；School of Physics and Astronomy and Centre for the Mathematics and Theoretical Physics of Quantum Non-Equilibrium Systems, The University of Nottingham（诺丁汉大学物理与天文学学院及量子非平衡系统数学与理论物理中心）
