Superresolving atomic densities

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Atomic Physics Quantum gas microscopes provide information about the occupancy of individual optical lattice sites. However, the resolution is limited by the wavelength of the imaging light. Two related superresolution schemes now enable researchers to glean even finer details of the atomic density distribution. McDonald et al. and Subhankar et al. studied one-dimensional arrays of ultracold atoms. A well-chosen perturbation provided a narrow window onto a specific position; when information from different positions was pieced together, the researchers were able to reconstruct the atomic density with a resolution of a fraction of the optical wavelength. The schemes were effective in capturing atomic dynamics and are expected to be applicable to a wide range of atomic and molecular species. Phys. Rev. X 9 , 021001, 021002 (2019).