Optical tweezers for a bottom-up assembly of few-atom systems

Tightly focused laser beams form optical tweezers that can hold and manipulate individual atoms. They give superb control over microscopic quantum systems and have paved the way for bottom up assembly of few-atom systems. Such assembled systems provide an ideal starting point for many fundamental studies of atomic interactions and few-atom phenomena. Here we review the present stage of these fields, as well as some of the basic experimental techniques required for these experiments Figure from [74]. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

Tightly focused laser beams can form optical tweezers that have the ability to hold and manipulate individual atoms, providing excellent control over microscopic quantum systems and facilitating the bottom-up assembly of few-atom systems. These assembled systems serve as an ideal starting point for studying atomic interactions and few-atom phenomena.