Temporal quantum interference in many-body programmable atom arrays (2511.09633v1)

Abstract: Quantum superposition famously manifests as spatial interference, epitomized by the double-slit experiment. Its less explored temporal analogue, Stückelberg interference, arises in driven systems where phases accumulated along distinct time-domain pathways recombine. Extending this phenomenon to large interacting systems introduces a new complexity as delicate phase relationships are disrupted by many-body interactions. Here we experimentally achieve controllable vacuum-state freezing in programmable Rydberg arrays of up to 100 atoms through many-body Stückelberg interference, with visibility exceeding $70\%$ and excitation suppression to $1\%$ despite periodic driving that would typically induce heating. Comparing single and dual-frequency protocols across multiple geometries, we show that simultaneous modulation of detuning and Rabi frequency dramatically enhances interference-driven freezing. Finite-range interaction tails play a decisive role, producing interference patterns which constrained $PXP$ models cannot capture. Our results establish temporal interference as a scalable microscopic mechanism for Floquet control, enabling predictive many-body state engineering in large-scale platforms.