Colloquium: Zeyang Li, Stanford University
Next-Generation Cavity-inspired Quantum Interfaces for Neutral Atoms
Event Details:
- Date: February 26, 2026
- Time: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
- Location: 1080 Physics Research Building
- Faculty Host: Sasha Landsman
Abstract
Cavities are indispensable tools in advancing both foundational quantum physics and scalable quantum technologies. In this talk, I will present two intertwined lines of research where the cavity-mediated interactions and cavity-inspired optics pave the way for robust, scalable quantum information processing.
The first part explores a cryogenic cavity QED system, highlighting efficient microwave-to-optical transduction via phase-matched atomic ensembles for hybrid networks. I will also outline work harnessing the extraordinarily coherent superconducting cavity-atom interaction to perform gates in a quantum information processor. As a proof-of-principle, I will discuss progress in generating spin squeezing in an atomic ensemble.
The second part introduces the Re-Imaged Phased Array (RIPA), a high-speed spatial light modulator inspired by optical cavities and waveguides. Functioning as a 10 MHz-resolution spectrometer, RIPA converts frequency components into spatial points with saturated bandwidth. This architecture overcomes the bandwidth limitations of current tweezer arrays, enabling the fast, high-fidelity qubit addressing required for scalable quantum control.
Bio
Zeyang Li is an Urbanek & Chodorow Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University working at the intersection of cryogenic AMO systems and high-fidelity optical control. He received his PhD from MIT in 2023, where he pioneered techniques for entanglement-assisted quantum metrology within cavity QED platforms. Currently, he is focused on two complementary approaches for scaling neutral atom quantum processors: developing cryogenic cavity interfaces for highly coherent spin-photon interactions and implementing next-generation optical tweezer architectures that enable qubit manipulation at speeds two orders of magnitude faster than current standards.