Triangular arrays of hundreds of Rb atoms for quantum simulation

Spin-frustrated lattices is an interesting class of condensed matter systems to study, where exotic quantum phases like the quantum spin liquid phase have been predicted to exist. In this talk, we present the realization of a two-dimensional triangular tweezer array with hundreds of singly-trapped Rb atoms for simulating spin-frustrated systems. Since the triangular tweezer array is generated by two acousto-optic deflectors oriented at 60 degrees, the Talbot effect is suppressed, allowing the atoms to be trapped in a single plane. We report the loading of atoms into a 20 x 20 tweezer array with a loading probability of 78%. Further, by combining D1 gray molasses cooling and adiabatic ramping, we can image, then release and recapture single Rb atoms with fidelities exceeding 99%. We discuss our efforts to use moving tweezers aligned with the backbone array to create defect-free arrays of not only triangle geometries but also other related geometries like the honeycomb and kagome lattice in a simpler way. In particular, the combination of moving tweezers with a digital mirror device (DMD) allows us to generate arbitrary geometries more efficiently than with moving tweezers alone. Our new platform paves the way for studying quantum many-body physics in large arrays with frustrated geometries.