Nondestructive Optical Readout and Manipulation of Circular Rydberg Atoms

Among the thriving quantum computation and quantum simulation platforms based on arrays of Rydberg atoms, those using circular Rydberg atoms are particularly promising. These atoms uniquely combine the strong dipole-dipole interactions typical of Rydberg states with long lifetimes. However, low-angular-momentum ( ℓ ) laser-accessible Rydberg levels have been so far mostly used, because circular Rydberg atoms have no optical transitions, hindering their individual detection and manipulation. We remove this limitation with a hybrid platform, combining an array of data laser-trapped circular Rydberg atoms of rubidium with an auxiliary array of Rb ancilla atoms transiently excited to a low- ℓ Rydberg level. We perform a quantum nondemolition detection of the data qubit with the ancilla, through the blockade of the ancilla optical excitation induced by a Förster resonance. Conversely, we locally manipulate the data qubit through the excitation of the ancilla. This dual-Rydberg platform is highly promising for quantum computation and simulation. It adds to the circular-atom toolbox the midcircuit measurements, essential for error correction. More strikingly, it gives access to time correlations in long-term quantum simulations, uniquely accessible to circular Rydberg atoms.