Creating and Probing Spin-Squeezed States of Molecules

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Holland, Connor M., Welsh, Callum L., Lu, Yukai, Wellnitz, David, Chen, Xing-Yan, Rey, Ana Maria, Cheuk, Lawrence W.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Holland, Connor M.
Welsh, Callum L.
Lu, Yukai
Wellnitz, David
Chen, Xing-Yan
Rey, Ana Maria
Cheuk, Lawrence W.
author_facet Holland, Connor M.
Welsh, Callum L.
Lu, Yukai
Wellnitz, David
Chen, Xing-Yan
Rey, Ana Maria
Cheuk, Lawrence W.
contents Polar molecules are a promising platform for quantum-enhanced sensing and precision tests of fundamental physics, owing to their strong long-range dipolar interactions, broad sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, and sensitivity to potential physics beyond the Standard Model. However, the creation of metrologically useful entangled states in molecular systems has remained elusive. Here, we report the first observation of a class of metrologically useful entangled states - spin-squeezed states - in polar CaF molecules trapped in an optical tweezer array. The spin degree of freedom is encoded in rotational levels which are directly coupled by dipolar exchange interactions. By harnessing appropriate dynamical decoupling schemes we observe up to 3.0(3)dB of metrological gain, (2.2(3)dB without measurement correction) from direct exchange interactions. Using Floquet engineering, we further realize richer Hamiltonians that preserve spin squeezing while enabling the development of longer-range quantum correlations. Using site- and spin-resolved measurements we demonstrate that these entangled states enhance sensitivity to both homogeneous and spatially varying fields, and reveal strong non-classical correlations, including bipartite entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering. Finally, we transfer the spin-squeezed states into long-lived and non-interacting hyperfine states, where the metrological enhancement persists for up to 100ms. Our results establish molecular optical tweezer arrays as a scalable platform for generating, controlling, characterizing, and storing entangled states of molecules, opening new opportunities for quantum-enhanced sensing and precision tests of fundamental physics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2606_02500
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Creating and Probing Spin-Squeezed States of Molecules
Holland, Connor M.
Welsh, Callum L.
Lu, Yukai
Wellnitz, David
Chen, Xing-Yan
Rey, Ana Maria
Cheuk, Lawrence W.
Atomic Physics
Quantum Gases
Quantum Physics
Polar molecules are a promising platform for quantum-enhanced sensing and precision tests of fundamental physics, owing to their strong long-range dipolar interactions, broad sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, and sensitivity to potential physics beyond the Standard Model. However, the creation of metrologically useful entangled states in molecular systems has remained elusive. Here, we report the first observation of a class of metrologically useful entangled states - spin-squeezed states - in polar CaF molecules trapped in an optical tweezer array. The spin degree of freedom is encoded in rotational levels which are directly coupled by dipolar exchange interactions. By harnessing appropriate dynamical decoupling schemes we observe up to 3.0(3)dB of metrological gain, (2.2(3)dB without measurement correction) from direct exchange interactions. Using Floquet engineering, we further realize richer Hamiltonians that preserve spin squeezing while enabling the development of longer-range quantum correlations. Using site- and spin-resolved measurements we demonstrate that these entangled states enhance sensitivity to both homogeneous and spatially varying fields, and reveal strong non-classical correlations, including bipartite entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering. Finally, we transfer the spin-squeezed states into long-lived and non-interacting hyperfine states, where the metrological enhancement persists for up to 100ms. Our results establish molecular optical tweezer arrays as a scalable platform for generating, controlling, characterizing, and storing entangled states of molecules, opening new opportunities for quantum-enhanced sensing and precision tests of fundamental physics.
title Creating and Probing Spin-Squeezed States of Molecules
topic Atomic Physics
Quantum Gases
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.02500