Optimal Cooling of Multiple Levitated Particles through Far-Field Wavefront Shaping

Light forces can be harnessed to levitate mesoscopic objects and cool them down toward their motional quantum ground state. Roadblocks on the way to scale up levitation from a single to multiple particles in close proximity are the requirements to constantly monitor the particles' positions as well as to engineer light fields that react fast and appropriately to their movements. Here, we present an approach that solves both problems at once. By exploiting the information stored in a time-dependent scattering matrix, we introduce a formalism enabling the identification of spatially modulated wavefronts, which simultaneously cool down multiple objects of arbitrary shapes. An experimental implementation is suggested based on stroboscopic scattering-matrix measurements and time-adaptive injections of modulated light fields.

Automated summary

The ability to levitate and cool mesoscopic objects using light forces is promising. However, scaling up from single to multiple particles in close proximity presents challenges in monitoring particle positions and engineering reactive light fields. This study presents a solution by utilizing a time-dependent scattering matrix to identify spatially modulated wavefronts, enabling the simultaneous cooling of multiple objects of arbitrary shapes. An experimental implementation is proposed involving stroboscopic scattering-matrix measurements and time-adaptive injections of modulated light fields.