Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Applied Physics Letters

Experimental investigation of transparent silicon carbide for atom chips

Landry Huet, Mahdi Ammar, E. Morvan, Nicolas Sarazin, Jean-Paul Pocholle, Jakob Reichel, Christine Guerlin, Sylvain Schwartz

Published Mar 19, 2012• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate some properties of an atom chip made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a transparent silicon carbide substrate. A favorable thermal behavior is observed in the presence of electrical current, twice as good as a silicon counterpart. We obtain one hundred million rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap with several of the beams passing through the chip. We point out the importance of coating of the chip against reflection to avoid a temperature-dependent Fabry-Perot effect. We finally discuss detection through the chip, potentially granting large numerical apertures, as well as some other potential applications.

DOI
10.1063/1.3689777

Related papers

Magneto-optical Trapping through a Transparent Silicon Carbide Atom Chip

Landry Huet, Mahdi Ammar, E. Morvan +5 more

We demonstrate the possibility of trapping about one hundred million rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap with several of the beams passing through a transparent atom chip mounted on a vacuum cell wall. The chip is made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a silicon carbide substrate, with favorable thermal conductivity. We show how a retro-reflected configuration can efficiently address the chip birefringence issues, allowing atom trapping at arbitrary distances from the chip. We also demonstrate detection through the chip, granting a large numerical aperture. This configuration is compared to other atom chip devices, and some possible applications are discussed.

arXiv:1109.1987•Sep 9, 2011•0 citations

Silicon carbide transparent chips for compact atomic sensors

Landry Huet, E. Morvan, N. Sarazin +5 more

Atom chips [1] are an efficient tool for trapping, cooling and manipulating cold atoms, which could open the way to a new generation of compact atomic sensors addressing space applications. This is in particular due to the fact that they can achieve strong magnetic field gradients near the chip surface, hence strong atomic confinement at moderate electrical power. However, this advantage usually comes at the price of reducing the optical access to the atoms, which are confined very close to the chip surface. We will report at the conference experimental investigations showing how these limits could be pushed farther by using an atom chip made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a single-crystal Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrate [2]. With a band gap energy value of about 3.2 eV at room temperature, the latter material is transparent at 780nm, potentially restoring quasi full optical access to the atoms. Moreover, it combines a very high electrical resistivity with a very high thermal conductivity, making it a good candidate for supporting wires with large currents without the need of any additional electrical insulation layer [3].

International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO)•Jan 5, 2018•0 citations

Experimental Investigation of Transparent Silicon Carbide as a Promising Material for Atom Chips

Landry Huet, Mahdi Ammar, E. Morvan +5 more

We experimentally investigate the possibility of exploiting optical transparency and favorable thermal behavior of silicon carbide for atom chips, and discuss potential applications including high numerical aperture detection through the chip.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2012•0 citations

Magneto-optical trapping and detection of atoms through a transparent atom chip

Landry Huet, Mahdi Ammar, E. Morvan +5 more

A magneto-optical trap with 108 87Rb atoms was formed near a transparent silicon carbide atom chip, with several beams propagating through the chip. Atomic detection through the chip and trap characterization are also reported.

•Jan 1, 2011•2 citations

Magneto-optical trapping and detection of atoms through a transparent atom chip

Landry Huet, Mahdi Ammar, E. Morvan +5 more

A magneto-optical trap with 108 87Rb atoms was formed near a transparent silicon carbide atom chip, with several beams propagating through the chip. Atomic detection through the chip and trap characterization are also reported.

•Aug 1, 2011•0 citations

Development and characterization of atom chip for magnetic trapping of atoms

Vivek Singh, Vibhuti Bhushan Tiwari, A. Chaudhary +3 more

In this work, we report the development and characterization of an atom chip for magnetic trapping of cold 87Rb atoms. For fabrication of the atom chip, a silicon substrate was used after depositing an insulating layer of silica (SiO2) on it. An adhesive chromium layer was further deposited on this substrate before the deposition of the final layer of gold. On this gold coated substrate, a z-shaped gold wire (cross section, 500×2.5μm2) was fabricated by a photo-chemical machining method. The chip wire was tested for current–voltage characteristics for its reliable operation in magnetic trapping. The atoms from an U-magneto-optical trap, after optical pumping, were directly trapped in the magnetic trap of the atom chip.

Journal of Applied Physics•Feb 22, 2023•13 citations
We investigate some properties of an atom chip made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a transparent silicon carbide substrate. A favorable thermal behavior is observed in the presence of electrical current, twice as good as a silicon counterpart. We obtain one hundred million rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap with several of the beams passing through the chip. We point out the importance of coating of the chip against reflection to avoid a temperature-dependent Fabry-Perot effect. We finally discuss detection through the chip, potentially granting large numerical apertures, as well as some other potential applications.
We demonstrate the possibility of trapping about one hundred million rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap with several of the beams passing through a transparent atom chip mounted on a vacuum cell wall. The chip is made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a silicon carbide substrate, with favorable thermal conductivity. We show how a retro-reflected configuration can efficiently address the chip birefringence issues, allowing atom trapping at arbitrary distances from the chip. We also demonstrate detection through the chip, granting a large numerical aperture. This configuration is compared to other atom chip devices, and some possible applications are discussed.
Atom chips [1] are an efficient tool for trapping, cooling and manipulating cold atoms, which could open the way to a new generation of compact atomic sensors addressing space applications. This is in particular due to the fact that they can achieve strong magnetic field gradients near the chip surface, hence strong atomic confinement at moderate electrical power. However, this advantage usually comes at the price of reducing the optical access to the atoms, which are confined very close to the chip surface. We will report at the conference experimental investigations showing how these limits could be pushed farther by using an atom chip made of a gold microcircuit deposited on a single-crystal Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrate [2]. With a band gap energy value of about 3.2 eV at room temperature, the latter material is transparent at 780nm, potentially restoring quasi full optical access to the atoms. Moreover, it combines a very high electrical resistivity with a very high thermal conductivity, making it a good candidate for supporting wires with large currents without the need of any additional electrical insulation layer [3].
In this work, we report the development and characterization of an atom chip for magnetic trapping of cold 87Rb atoms. For fabrication of the atom chip, a silicon substrate was used after depositing an insulating layer of silica (SiO2) on it. An adhesive chromium layer was further deposited on this substrate before the deposition of the final layer of gold. On this gold coated substrate, a z-shaped gold wire (cross section, 500×2.5μm2) was fabricated by a photo-chemical machining method. The chip wire was tested for current–voltage characteristics for its reliable operation in magnetic trapping. The atoms from an U-magneto-optical trap, after optical pumping, were directly trapped in the magnetic trap of the atom chip.