Trapped Atoms in an Artificial Crystal of Light (IMAGE)
Caption
The wavelike pattern at the top shows the accordion-like structure of a proposed quantum material -- an artificial crystal made of light -- that can trap atoms in regularly spaced nanoscale pockets. These pockets can be made to hold a large collection of ultracold 'host' atoms (green), slowed to a standstill by laser light, and individually planted "probe" atoms (red) that can be made to transmit quantum information in the form of a photon (particle of light). The lower panel shows how the artificial crystal can be reconfigured with light from an open (hyperbolic) geometry to a closed (elliptical) geometry, which greatly affects the speed at which the probe atom can release a photon.
Credit
(Credit: Pankaj K. Jha/UC Berkeley)
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