Supposing that the measurements with and without the sphere are taken under identical circumstances. But you deserve the upvote either way.

The achievement in question is the preparation of the neutral atoms, which realize qubits, on this grid. Controlling the placement of such a large number of individual atoms with just light is a somewhat recent breakthrough that is now maturing.

Addressing the atoms and letting them interact is an entirely different beast, but the prerequisite of placement is just as important.