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arXiv:cond-mat/0205586 · Applied Physics Letters

Microelectromagnets for trapping and manipulating ultracold atomic quantum gases

József Fortágh, Herwig Ott, G. Schlotterbeck, Claus Zimmermann, Bastian Herzog, D. Wharam

Published Aug 5, 2002• 24 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We describe the production and characterization of microelectromagnets made for trapping and manipulating atomic ensembles. The devices consist of seven fabricated parallel copper conductors 3 μm thick, 25 mm long, with widths ranging from 3 to 30 μm, and are produced by electroplating a sapphire substrate. Maximum current densities in the wires up to 6.5×106 A cm−2 are achieved in continuous mode operation. The device operates successfully at a base pressure of 10−11 mbar. The microstructures permit the realization of a variety of magnetic field configurations and, hence, provide enormous flexibility for controlling the motion and the shape of Bose–Einstein condensates.

DOI
10.1063/1.1495086

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We describe the production and characterization of microelectromagnets made for trapping and manipulating atomic ensembles. The devices consist of seven fabricated parallel copper conductors 3 μm thick, 25 mm long, with widths ranging from 3 to 30 μm, and are produced by electroplating a sapphire substrate. Maximum current densities in the wires up to 6.5×106 A cm−2 are achieved in continuous mode operation. The device operates successfully at a base pressure of 10−11 mbar. The microstructures permit the realization of a variety of magnetic field configurations and, hence, provide enormous flexibility for controlling the motion and the shape of Bose–Einstein condensates.
Micro-electromagnets for atom manipulation have been constructed, including magnetic mirrors (serpentine patterns) and traps (circular patterns). They consist of planar micron-scale Au wires on sapphire substrates fabricated using lithography and electroplating. At liquid nitrogen or helium temperatures in vacuum the wires support currents of several amperes with current density ∼108 A/cm2 and power dissipation ∼10 kW/cm2, and they produce magnetic fields to 0.3 T and gradients to 103 T/cm. The micro-electromagnet mirror was used to deflect a beam of metastable helium atoms at grazing angles ∼0.5 mrad.
Many proposals for quantum information processing require precise control over the motion of neutral atoms, as in the manipulation of coherent matter waves or the confinement and localization of individual atoms. Patterns of micron-sized wires, fabricated lithographically on a flat substrate, can conveniently produce large magnetic-field gradients and curvatures to trap cold atoms and to facilitate the production of Bose-Einstein condensates. This paper describes tools and techniques for the construction of such devices.
Many proposals for quantum information processing require precise control over the motion of neutral atoms, as in the manipulation of coherent matter waves or the confinement and localization of individual atoms. Patterns of micron-sized wires, fabricated lithographically on a flat substrate, can conveniently produce large magnetic-field gradients and curvatures to trap cold atoms and to facilitate the production of Bose-Einstein condensates. The intent of this paper is to provide the researcher who has access to a standard clean-room enough information to design and fabricate such devices.
We employ a combination of optical and electron-beam lithography to create an atom chip combining submicron wire structures with larger conventional wires on a single substrate. The multilayer fabrication enables crossed wire configurations, greatly enhancing the flexibility in designing potentials for ultracold quantum gases and Bose–Einstein condensates. Large current densities of >6×107A∕cm2 and high voltages of up to 65V across 0.3μm gaps are supported by even the smallest wire structures. We experimentally demonstrate the flexibility of the next generation atom chip by producing Bose–Einstein condensates in magnetic traps created by a combination of wires involving all different fabrication methods and structure sizes.
We describe a novel method of fabricating atom chips that are well suited to the production and manipulation of atomic Bose–Einstein condensates. Our chip was created using a silver foil and simple micro-cutting techniques without the need for photolithography. It can sustain larger currents than conventional chips, and is compatible with the patterning of complex trapping potentials. A near pure Bose–Einstein condensate of 4 × 10 4 87 Rb atoms has been created in a magnetic microtrap formed by currents through wires on the chip. We have observed the fragmentation of atom clouds in close proximity to the silver conductors. The fragmentation has different characteristic features to those seen with copper conductors.
Bose-Einstein condensation has been achieved in a magnetic surface microtrap with 4 x 10(5) (87)Rb atoms. The strongly anisotropic trapping potential is generated by a microstructure which consists of microfabricated linear copper conductor of widths ranging from 3 to 30 microm. After loading a high number of atoms from a pulsed thermal source directly into a magneto-optical trap the magnetically stored atoms are transferred into the microtrap by adiabatic transformation of the trapping potential. In the microtrap the atoms are cooled to condensation using forced rf-evaporation. The complete in vacuo trap design is compatible with ultrahigh vacuum below 2 x 10(-11) mbar.