Measurement of the trapping lifetime close to a cold metallic surface on a cryogenic atom-chip

• Published in: The European physical journal. D, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 173 - 177
• Main Authors: Emmert, A., Lupaşcu, A., Nogues, G., Brune, M., Raimond, J.-M., Haroche, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2009; EDP Sciences
• Subjects: Applications of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos Theory; Atom and neutron optics; Atom, molecule and ion trapping and colling methods; Atomic; Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic Physics; Atomic properties and interactions with photons; Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields; Exact sciences and technology; Highlight Paper; Matter waves; Mechanical control of atoms, molecules and ions; Molecular; Optical and Plasma Physics; Optical cooling of atoms; trapping; Photon interactions with atoms; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Information Technology; Quantum Physics; Spectroscopy/Spectrometry; Spintronics; 67.85.-d Ultracold gases, trapped gases; 03.75.Be Atom and neutron optics; 37.10.Gh Atom traps and guides; Loss rate; Atom chips; Lifetime; Atom optics; Atom trapping; Cryogenic temperature; trapping lifetime; magnetic trap; Johnson-Nyquist noise; ultracold atoms; superconductor; atom-chip; cryogenic temperature
• ISSN: 1434-6060; 1434-6079
• DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2009-00001-5

We have measured the trapping lifetime of magnetically trapped atoms in a cryogenic atom-chip experiment. An ultracold atomic cloud is kept at a fixed distance from a thin gold layer deposited on top of a superconducting trapping wire. The lifetime is studied as a function of the distances to the surface and to the wire. Different regimes are observed, where loss rate is determined either by the technical current noise in the wire or the Johnson-Nyquist noise in the metallic gold layer, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Far from the surface, we observe exceptionally long trapping times for an atom-chip, in the 10 min range.