An atom-array - nanophotonic chip platform with background-free imaging*

Integrating scalable, coherent, and programmable qubits with photonic degrees of freedom remains an outstanding challenge. Neutral atom arrays have emerged as a scalable platform with programmable and identical qubits. Nevertheless, an efficient photonic interface for atom arrays remains a formidable task. Further, long-distance distribution of entanglement requires a telecom photonic interface which currently relies on inefficient and noisy external conversions. In this work, we demonstrate an architecture that combines atom arrays with up to 64 optical tweezers and a millimeter-scale photonic chip hosting more than 100 nanophotonic devices. We achieve high-fidelity, background-free imaging in close proximity to nanofabricated devices using a bichromatic excitation-detection scheme and achieve defect-free rearrangement of atoms onto the nanophotonic devices and cavities. This enables a multiplexed operation of atom arrays with photonic interfaces. 

Further, we will discuss our protocol for the generation of atom-photon entanglement in the telecom regime with cavities that are resonant with excited state transitions of the atoms. Towards this, we will present our experimental progress towards coupling excited states of atoms with cavities, and our novel fiber-free photon coupling scheme to devices. This system opens a path for multiplexed quantum network nodes and repeaters.