A dual-region ytterbium tweezer apparatus with an in-vacuum nanofiber cavity

Abstract:We present a dual-region experimental apparatus for trapping single atoms of the fermionic isotope ytterbium-171 (${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$) with optical tweezers in a science chamber containing an in-vacuum nanofiber cavity. A source region is located approximately $240\,\mathrm{mm}$ from the science chamber, preserving optical access around the chamber for high-numerical-aperture tweezer optics. A pulsed transport sequence based on longitudinal moving molasses launches atomic pulses toward the science chamber, where they are decelerated and recaptured in a magneto-optical trap. We subsequently load single atoms into a $2\times2$ tweezer array located approximately $50\,\mathrm{\mu m}$ from the nanofiber and measure a $1/e$ lifetime of $9.5(7)\,\mathrm{s}$. These results demonstrate that the dual-region architecture provides sufficient ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$ atoms for single-atom tweezer operation near an in-vacuum nanofiber cavity.

arXiv:2609.25245 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2609.25245v1 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.25245 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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