Neutral atoms have emerged in recent years as a leading qubit candidate for quantum computing. Atom interferometers, meanwhile, provide precise measurements of very weak gravitational forces. Both of these applications use optical fields to write-in / read-out information, as well as to trap and manipulate the atoms. Optical resonators have been used to enhance such atom-photon interactions, constituting the field of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED).
In this talk, I will discuss two experiments being designed and built in my new group at Montana State University. The first will develop and utilize novel high numerical aperture optical resonators with sub-micron mode waist, enabling strong single-atom/single-photon coupling even at low to moderate finesse. I will describe use cases of such devices for neutral atom qubits, such as Purcell-enhanced cavity tweezer arrays for fast readout, entanglement distribution and scalable trapping. The second experiment uses a more traditional cavity geometry to realize a compact, high-sensitivity mobile atomic gravimeter / gradiometer. Such an apparatus can be small enough to serve as a drone payload, with sufficient sensitivity to conduct relevant field surveys of gravitational signatures in geophysics, underground resource monitoring, and non-invasive archaeology.