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Experimental demonstration of quantum lithography beyond diffraction limit via Rabi oscillations

Diffraction of light sets the fundamental limit for optical lithography. Many quantum lithography schemes have so far been proposed to overcome this limit either by making use of highly entangled photons, multi-photon processes or multiple Lambda transitions, which are all experimentally high-demanding. Recently, Liao et al. proposed a novel quantum lithography scheme which merely employs Rabi oscillation to surpass the diffraction limit. Here we report a faithful experimental realization of this scheme. Resolution up to ninth of the Rayleigh diffraction limit has been observed. Possibility of creating an arbitrary pattern is also tested experimentally by demonstrating the peak narrowing process using several Rabi floppings together with state-selective optical depletion. Our work may have direct applications in atom pattern engineering for quantum information or quantum simulation applications, and will also possibly boost the adoption of quantum lithography into real-world applications in the near future.