Manipulating individual alkali and alkaline-Earth atoms using optical tweezers has made a broad range of quantum physics experiments possible. Damien Bloch of the University of Paris-Saclay and his colleagues now extend the technique to the lanthanide group of atoms, which have more complex electronic configurations [1]. By successfully trapping single atoms of dysprosium (Dy)—known for its substantial magnetic moments and large total spin—the researchers offer a new tool for exploring quantum magnetism.
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