Loading Strontium Atoms in Arrays of Optical Tweezers

Neutral atoms trapped in tweezer arrays are promising candidates for quantum computing. At TU/e we are developing a strontium-based quantum processor unit intended as the qubit hardware for our full-stack quantum computer. This poster highlights our progress in loading atoms into tweezer arrays and outlines the plans to use these atoms as qubits. Before we can load the tweezer arrays, we first pre-cool the atoms to approximately 1 mK using a 3-D magneto-optical trap on the broad linewidth 'blue' transition of strontium. We then cool further using a 3-D magneto-optical trap using the narrow 'red' intercombination line. Subsequently, we overlap the atomic cloud with a 2-D array of optical tweezers projected using a spatial light modulator and high-resolution microscope objective. The tweezer wavelength used is 813.4 nm, which is a magic wavelength for the clock transition of strontium. The atoms will be cooled in the tweezers using a Sisyphus cooling process and sorted into defect free arrays using crossed acousto-optic deflectors.