Rydberg atoms in optical tweezers have become a leading platform for both quantum simulation and quantum computing. However, they are often limited by their relatively short lifetime of a few tens of microseconds. One way to overcome this limitation is to use Rydberg atoms with maximum angular momentum (m = l = n-1), known as circular states. When placed in a cryogenic environment, these states can exhibit lifetimes of several milliseconds. Circular states of alkaline-earth-like atoms offer additional advantages. They can be trapped in optical tweezers, and the optical transitions of the ionic core can be driven without autoionization. In this talk, I will present our recent experimental progress in building a new apparatus in which we trap individual circular Rydberg strontium atoms in optical tweezers at 4K. In particular, I will show that the two-electron structure of strontium leads to coherent oscillations between singlet and triplet spin states, due to the spin-orbit coupling of the electron in the circular state.
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