Multi-partite entanglement in extreme nanophotonic cavities

Abstract: Multi-partite entanglement is fundamental to emerging quantum technologies such as quantum networks, which ultimately require devices with strong light-matter interactions and long coherence times. Here, we introduce nanobeam photonic crystal cavities combining both extreme quality factors ($\sim10^{7}$) with sub-wavelength field confinement to reach unprecedented light-matter interactions. Operating at $780$ nm, our devices are tailored for efficient coupling and entanglement with ultracold $^{87}$Rb atoms, a key ingredient in quantum networks due to their hyperfine structure. Our new designs also facilitate the precise optical trapping of atoms, and we demonstrate coherent entanglement generation between them, that is remarkably resilient to atomic displacements. These platforms can be easily scaled-up to extremely large quantum networks, for distributed quantum computing and future light-based quantum technologies.