Rydberg tweezer molecules: Spin-phonon entanglement and Jahn-Teller effectAtoms confined in optical tweezer arrays constitute a platform for the
implementation of quantum computers and simulators. State-dependent operations
are realized by exploiting electrostatic dipolar interactions that emerge, when
two atoms are simultaneously excited to high-lying electronic states, so-called
Rydberg states. These interactions also lead to state-dependent mechanical
forces, which couple the electronic dynamics of the atoms to their vibrational
motion. We explore these vibronic couplings within an artificial molecular
system -- a Rydberg tweezer molecule -- in which Rydberg states are excited
under so-called facilitation conditions. This system undergoes a structural
transition between an equilateral triangle and an equal-weighted superposition
of distorted triangular states (Jahn-Teller regime) exhibiting spin-phonon
entanglement on a micrometer distance. This highlights the potential of Rydberg
tweezer arrays for the study of molecular phenomena at exaggerated length
scales.
arxiv.org