Towards assembling defect-free arrays of ultracold strontium atoms for quantum simulation

We report on progress towards creating two-dimensional arrays of strontium atoms in optical tweezers. Strontium has narrow optical transitions and magic wavelengths, which enable robust cooling, trapping, and coherent manipulation of single atoms. We explore strategies for imaging and cooling atoms in optical tweezers, as well as scaling to larger arrays. We further explore approaches to engineering long-range interactions between strontium atoms via Rydberg states.