Optical properties of atoms in solid parahydrogen*

The favorable spin coherence properties of alkali atoms trapped in solid parahydrogen make them a promising experimental resource. %for use as single-atom quantum sensors. The optical properties of these atoms are key to using them as sensors and in other applications. % To date, our work has used absorption spectroscopy to probe large-number samples. % To use single atoms as quantum sensors will require fluorescence detection methods. %is understanding their optical properties in the solid. This talk will describe our work to measure essential optical properties of atoms in parahydrogen: absorption, fluorescence, and optical cycling. Prospects for detecting single atoms in parahydrogen will be discussed.