Coupling ultra-cold atoms with nano-mechanics

Recently there has been a significant interplay between the fields of solid-state and atomic physics, ranging from using ultra-cold atoms to simulate condensed-matter systems to physically coupling cold atoms with solid state devices such as micro-resonators. In particular, micro-mechanical resonators can be used to manipulate and probe cold atomic samples with single-spin sensitivity and sub-micron spatial resolution. We describe ongoing experimental efforts to couple laser-cooled Rb atoms to a magnetic cantilever tip, and discuss prospects for using nano-resonators for individual lattice-site addressing of atoms trapped in optical lattices [1]. Looking forward, hybrid quantum systems consisting of cold atoms interfaced with mechanical devices may have applications in quantum information science.\\[4pt] [1] A. A. Geraci and J. Kitching, Phys. Rev. A 80, 032317 (2009).