During the last decade, neutral atoms at ultralow temperatures have proven themselves as an efficient and scalable platform for quantum science, e.g. for quantum simulations and quantum information processing. In ultracold atom systems, internal atomic states with very long coherence times are typically available, allowing for studying coherent many-particle evolution as well as to robustly store quantum information. The possibility to tailor and control inter-particle interactions makes these an ideal testbed for exploring quantum many-body phenomena.

The ArQuS experimental apparatus will allow to trap fermionic ytterbium (Yb) atoms and cool them down to the ultracold temperature regime at 10-100 nK with single-particle resolution and control. Ytterbium is an alkaline-earth-like element, featuring two electrons in its outermost shell which result in a rich and versatile electronic structure, offering exciting possibilities for quantum simulation and quantum metrology. In fermionic isoptopes, the simultaneous presence of nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom with exceptional coherence and desirable interaction properties affords great tools for realizing quantum simulators of two-orbital models, such as quantum impurity problems. Such features have already been exploited to realize the most precise atomic clocks to date.