Quantum systems that are highly controllable, scalable, and preserve quantum properties for extended periods of time are the key driver of the second quantum revolution. Atoms and molecules - pristine miniature quantum systems provided by Nature – have extremely promising properties in this regard. In this talk, I will discuss our recent progress in synthesizing, controlling, and stabilizing dipolar molecules of NaCs [1,2]. We have demonstrated that rotational qubits in NaCs can be controlled via microwave pulses on the nanosecond-scale, rivaling control times of many traditional qubit platforms. In addition, we have demonstrated that microwave shielding can enhance the lifetimes of dense NaCs ensembles by a factor of 100. NaCs molecules hold great promise for becoming a new modality for quantum simulation and quantum computing. I will also discuss our TweeSr project on optical tweezer arrays of strontium. We have developed a new source for cold strontium [4] and demonstrated holographic metasurfaces as a new way to create high-quality atomic tweezer arrays [5]. Leveraging a Sr transition in the mid-infrared, we pursue the controlled creation of superradiant and subradiant states. [1] C. Warner et al., Overlapping Bose-Einstein Condensates of Na and Cs, Phys. Rev. A 104, 033302 (2021). [2] I. Stevenson et al., Ultracold Gases of Dipolar NaCs Ground State Molecules, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 113002 (2023). [3] N. Bigagli et al., Collisionally Stable Gas of Bosonic Dipolar Ground State Molecules, arXiv:2303.16845 (2023). [4] M. Kwon, A. Holman, et al. Jet-loaded cold atomic beam source for strontium, Rev. Sci. Instr. 94, 013202 (2023). [5] X. Huang, W. Yuan, et al. Metasurface Holographic Optical Traps for Ultracold Atoms, Prog. Quantum Electr. 100470 (2023).

Sebastian Will is a professor of experimental quantum physics at Columbia University. He and his team work towards single atom and single molecule control for applications in fundamental science, quantum sensing, quantum simulation, and quantum computing. Sebastian has received the MIT Infinite Kilometer Award, the Columbia RISE Award, the NSF Career Award, and a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.