Three-dimensional imaging of single atoms in an optical lattice via helical point-spread-function engineering

A Quantum Gas Microscope with Depth Perception

“…A quantum gas microscope-the tool of choice for imaging atomic lattices-can pinpoint the horizontal positions of atoms in a lattice but struggles when it comes to measuring their vertical depth. Now Tangi Legrand at the University of Bonn, Germany, and colleagues have developed a technique for measuring that depth to within a few hundred nanometers [1]. This precision is high enough to map the positions of atoms distributed across different levels of a three-dimensional lattice.…”

“…The fluorescence signal subsequently emitted when the atoms relax is collected and transmitted to the imaging apparatus. In the Credit: T. Legrand et al [1] new instrument the fluorescence signal passes through a spatial light modulator before it reaches the camera. This modulator imprints a structured phase pattern on the signal, which elongates the instrument's point-spread function-a visual representation of the way an ideal point source appears in a given imaging system.…”