Cavity QED with atom arrays, two ways

Techniques of cavity quantum electrodynamics have been central to much of the progress in quantum science by allowing for strong coupling between single atoms and photons. However, effectively scaling these techniques with neutral atom array platforms is not straightforward. In this talk, I will describe two new approaches to combining cavity quantum electrodynamics with atom arrays. The first is based on a new kind of macroscopic lens based optical resonator which can have wavelength scale mode waists, and thus strong coupling even at very low finesse [1]. I will show how to make arrays of such resonators, naturally well-suited for coupling with atom arrays – in the context of our efforts to make “cavity-atom arrays” of Ytterbium.

The second approach is based on recent experiments with coupling Rydberg atoms to superconducting millimeter wave resonators [2]. I will show how carefully designed microwave resonators can potentially host a large atom array while maintaining millisecond scale photon lifetimes, enabling single particle cooperativities a hundred times higher than previously realized for neutral atom systems on optical transitions, opening doors to novel quantum simulations.

[1] Shadmany, D., Kumar, A., Soper, A., Palm, L., Yin, C., Ando, H., Li, B., Taneja, L., Jaffe, M., David, S. and Simon, J., 2025. Cavity QED in a high NA resonator. Science Advances, 11(9), p.eads8171.

[2] Kumar, A., Suleymanzade, A., Stone, M., Taneja, L., Anferov, A., Schuster, D.I. and Simon, J., 2023. Quantum-enabled millimetre wave to optical transduction using neutral atoms. Nature, 615(7953), pp.614-619.