D1 magic wavelength tweezers for scaling atom arrays

Efficient trapping and detection of single atoms in optical tweezers are important for realizing atom arrays, a promising platform for quantum simulation and quantum information processing. However, the scaling up of atom arrays can be impeded by detrimental light shifts induced by the tweezer trap, making it challenging to cool and image single atoms. Here, we report an order-of-magnitude increase in the scalability of Na-23 atom arrays by using D-1 magic wavelength tweezers to reduce the required tweezer power per trap. D-1 magic wavelengths have been previously predicted to exist for all the alkali atoms but are not yet observed to date. We first experimentally confirm a D-1 magic wavelength that is predicted to lie at 615.87 nm, which we then use to trap and image single atoms without having to modulate the trapping and imaging light intensities. We further demonstrate that the mean loading efficiency remains as high as 80.0(6)% for a single trap and 74.2(7)% for a one-dimensional array of eight atoms. The methods reported here are applicable to all the alkalis, including those that are attractive candidates for dipolar molecule assembly, Rydberg dressing, or are fermionic in nature.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a significant increase in scalability of Na-23 atom arrays using D-1 magic wavelength tweezers, confirming a predicted magic wavelength at 615.87 nm and achieving high loading efficiency for single traps and one-dimensional arrays of atoms. These methods are applicable to alkali atoms and have potential applications in dipolar molecule assembly, Rydberg dressing, and fermionic systems.