A quantum gas microscope - detecting single atoms in a Hubbard regime optical lattice

Understand

Recent years have seen tremendous progress in creating complex atomic many-body quantum systems.

• One approach is to use macroscopic, effectively thermodynamic ensembles of ultracold atoms to create quantum gases and strongly correlated states of matter, and to analyze the bulk properties of the ensemble.
• The opposite approach is to build up microscopic quantum systems atom by atom - with complete control over all degrees of freedom.
• Until now, the macroscopic and microscopic strategies have been fairly disconnected.