Single-spin addressing in an atomic Mott insulator

Abstract

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices provide a versatile tool to investigate fundamental properties of quantum many-body systems. This paper demonstrates control at the most fundamental level, using a laser beam and microwave field to flip the spin of individual atoms at specific sites of an optical lattice. The technique should enable studies of entropy transport and the quantum dynamics of spin impurities, the implementation of novel cooling schemes, engineering of quantum many-body phases and various quantum information processing applications.