Ytterbium Atom Arrays and Nanophotonics for Quantum Science

Scalable quantum technologies require robust and efficient modular architectures capable of coherently connecting distinct quantum processing nodes. Neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezer arrays are a powerful platform for quantum information science, offering single-atom control, reconfigurability, and long-lived qubit coherence. Telecom photons are an ideal candidate to mediate entanglement between atomic systems due to their low loss in optical fibers and long coherence times. Ytterbium-171 is an ideal atom for this application, with a nuclear spin qubit encoded in the ³P₀ metastable state and transitions in the telecom band. Integrating neutral atom arrays with on-chip photonic technologies enables strong and controllable light–matter interactions. Through dispersion engineering, photonic crystal cavities can be designed to enhance or suppress emission of these telecom transitions. We present advancements on a platform that integrates nanophotonic cavities with atom arrays and additional on-chip control infrastructure, providing a scalable, on-chip interface for distributed quantum technologies.