Scaling Neutral Atom Tweezer Arrays to 6,100 Qubits

Author: Manetsch, Hannah Jean

Year: 2026

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Endres, Manuel A.

Committee Members: Faraon, Andrei; Hsieh, David; Minnich, Austin J.; Endres, Manuel A.

Option: Applied Physics

Abstract

Optical tweezer arrays of neutral atoms have been demonstrated in recent years to be a useful platform for quantum simulation, computation, and metrology. Realizing the full potential of these applications requires increasing qubit numbers while simultaneously maintaining high-fidelity control, which has proved a major challenge across quantum platforms. To date, quantum science experiments have typically been operated with at most hundreds of qubits.

In this thesis, we review the relevant physics of the optical tweezer array architecture and present the technical advances involved in scaling the platform to 6,100 atomic qubits. In tandem with scalability, we demonstrate robust vacuum design, state-of-the-art coherence times, and high single-qubit gate fidelities. To capitalize on the intrinsic connectivity of the architecture at large scale, we investigate long-distance coherent atom transport and briefly describe progress towards two-qubit gate implementation. Finally, we discuss the prospects for scaling the optical tweezer array platform further by an order of magnitude.