Atom-by-atom assembly with optical tweezers enables the generation of defect-free atomic arrays with flexible geometric arrangements. Combined with controlled excitation to Rydberg states, this has become a highly versatile platform for quantum computing, simulation, and metrology. I will review these developments with a focus on two valence electron atoms: The rich level structure of such atoms enables novel cooling, control, and read-out schemes, which we have used in demonstrations of record imaging and two-qubit entanglement fidelities for neutral atoms. At the same time, this direction merges high-precision spectroscopy with single-atom control resulting in a novel type of optical clock platform. Further, we are now able to benchmark Rydberg quantum simulators, at a global fidelity level, using a recently introduced scheme based on quantum chaotic dynamics.

Bio:
Professor and Rosenberg Scholar at California Institute of Technology.

Education:
2013 Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics & LMI Munich. PhD physics (summa cum laude). Advisors: I. Bloch and S. Kuhr 2002-2008 Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz & Philipps-Universität Marburg. MSc physics 2005-2006 University of Amsterdam. Courses from MSc in theoretical physics

Awards and scholarships:
DOE Early Career Research Program (2021). AFOSR YIP award and NSF CAREER award (2018). Sloan Research Fellowship (2017). Otto Hahn Medal, Max Planck Society, HQOC Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard Quantum Optics Center and Karel Urbanek Fellowship, Stanford University, Applied Physics Department (offered) (2014). Springer Theses, PhD thesis selected for publication as a book and PhD prize, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (2013). Fulbright Commission, Scholarship (offered) (2004). German Merit Foundation, Scholarship (2003-2008)