Welcome to the Artificial Quantum Systems (ArQuS) laboratory at the University of Trieste and CNR-INO!

We are a new experimental group at the University of Trieste and the Institute of Optics of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-INO). Our activity focuses on cooling, trapping and controlling two-electron atoms with high-precision optical manipulation and spectroscopic techniques, achieving resolution down to the single atom to explore strongly interacting systems in a bottom-up approach. We aim at pursuing different research directions in quantum science and technologies, from fundamental few- and many-body physics to quantum optics and atomtronics.

Our current efforts are concentrated on the realization of a novel experimental platform, based on the individual manipulation and detection of ytterbium atoms in state-selective potentials. This will allow the realization mesoscopic model systems where we will explore the dynamics of single quantum impurities embedded in fermionic media, with interesting connections across condensed matter and quantum information theory.

The laboratory is led by Prof. Francesco Scazza and is financially supported by ERC Starting Grant OrbiDynaMIQs under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement no. 949438), by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the FARE initiative, and by the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia under the SIS-FVG initiative.

News

Latest highlights from the group

January 2024

MOT

We have obtained our first narrow-line MOT of Yb-174 atoms in the science cell!

December 2023

Tweezers

A 1D array of 532-nm tweezers with 1.3 um spacing and <1% amplitude inhomegenity. We are getting closer to single ytterbium atoms!

October 2023

Science cell

Our science cell is ready to host a MOT in between high-field coils!

Our Research

Find out about our work

Quantum impurities

Strongly interacting quantum impurities

We study individual impurities embedded in a fermionic bath, one by one, combining microscopy with precise spectroscopy and interferometry.

Quantum many-body

Non-equilibrium dynamics in mesoscopic fermionic systems

We investigate the correlated behaviour of many interacting fermions using highly controllable quantum matter at ultracold temperatures from a bottom-up perspective.

Quantum information

Quantum optics with ytterbium atom arrays

We explore light-atom interactions in ordered arrays of fermionic alkaline-earth-like isotopes, such as 171Yb, exploiting their rich level structure.


The ArQuS Lab is supported by:

Contacts

ArQuS Laboratory
c/o CNR Edificio Q2 - Area Science Park Basovizza
34149 Trieste - IT
Phone: +39 040 375 6415
Email: arquslab (AT) units (DOT) it