#  Neutral Atoms Coupled to Optical Microcavities 

 



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## Neutral Atoms Coupled to Optical Microcavities

Neutral atom arrays are a powerful platform for quantum computing and simulation. Interfacing neutral atoms with optical cavities enables fast, nondestructive qubit readout and high-rate generation of remote entanglement. By developing these interfaces, we aim to connect neutral atom quantum computers into a quantum network.

  
We couple individual atoms trapped in optical tweezers to state-of-the-art Fabry-Perot microcavities to create a versatile atom-photon interface. Using this platform, we have previously demonstrated strong coupling with cooperativities > 100 and cavity-mediated entanglement protocols with built-in error detection.

   ![atom cavity schematic and data](/sites/g/files/omnuum6416/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2026-03/AC%204_full%20figure.jpg?itok=QL_187rU) 

 

### Current areas of research:

#### Novel cavity designs optimized for quantum networking

Cavity platforms for enhanced light-matter interactions require high finesse, efficient photon extraction, and compact optical interfaces. We develop novel, scalable fabrication methods for silicon-based Fabry-Perot microcavities with state-of-the-art performance. By utilizing ultra-smooth silicon micromirrors we realize hybrid devices with high mode matching. Further, we demonstrate a novel silicon microcavity platform based on suspended dielectric membranes, achieving a record finesse of 0.9 million at 780 nm. Our devices, engineered to operate at both near-infrared and telecom wavelengths, enable integration with neutral atom arrays and provide ideal platforms for cavity QED experiments and quantum networking applications.

   ![three pictures of atom cavities](/sites/g/files/omnuum6416/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/2026-03/AC%201_trio_0.png?itok=lS0CxSFy) 

 

#### Telecom quantum networking for neutral atoms

For long-range entanglement, telecom-band photons must be used to minimize loss in optical fibers. 87Rb atoms contain an intrinsic interface to 1530 nm (C-band) photons via the 5P3/2 to 4D5/2 transition. In this project, we aim to realize a quantum network based on this transition by entangling 87Rb hyperfine states directly with photonic time-bin qubits at 1530 nm. Furthermore, telecom-band photons are naturally compatible with the mature field of silicon nanophotonics. This opens the door to on-chip manipulation of the 1530 nm photons, enabling more sophisticated entanglement-distribution architectures.

   ![diagram of telecom band networking](/sites/g/files/omnuum6416/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/2026-03/AC2_diagram.png?itok=wFpR-sST) 

 

#### Coupling atom-arrays to optical microcavities

Interfacing neutral atom arrays with optical microcavities can combine scalable quantum computation and photonic networking capabilities in a single platform. In particular, this architecture opens the door to high-dimensional atom-photon entanglement, a key milestone towards distributed quantum computing.  
We currently demonstrate strong coupling of up to six atoms in a single row and are working toward multiplexed atom-photon entanglement generation for faster, higher-dimensional quantum links.

   ![two blue chips and a frequency/photon/atom graph](/sites/g/files/omnuum6416/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2026-03/AC%203_rainbow_1.png?itok=p73jZA99) 

 

### References:

\[1\] B. Grinkemeyer et al. [Error-detected quantum operations with neutral atoms mediated by an optical cavity](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr7075), Science (2025). ([arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.10787))

\[2\] S. W. Ding et al. [High finesse buckled micromirrors](https://opg.optica.org/optica/fulltext.cfm?uri=optica-13-2-313), Optica (2026). ([arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.23576))



 



 

 See also:- [ Research ](/page-categories/research)