Ultrafast High-Fidelity State Readout of Single Neutral Atom

The capability to measure the state of a neutral atom is vital to an atom-based quantum network, for applications including distributed quantum computing and long-distance quantum communication. However, single neutral atoms suffer from low achievable photon scattering rate and shallow trapping potential, which limits the fidelity and speed of state readout process. Here, by coupling a single neutral atom with a high-finesse fiber-based Fabry-Pérot microcavity in the Purcell regime, we realize strong enhancement of the atomic photoemission rate and high overall system efficiency, which enables ultrafast and high-fidelity discrimination of bright and dark hyperfine states of the atom. The readout fidelity can reach 99.1(2)% within 200 ns and 99.985(8)% within 9 μs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that state preparation via optical pumping can be efficiently accelerated by a real-time decision protocol based on ultrafast state readout. This work demonstrates the potential to serve as a high-performance atom-photon interface and paves the way to the implementation of a practical atom-based quantum network.