Bose-Einstein condensates near a microfabricated surface.
Magnetically and optically confined Bose-Einstein condensates were studied near a microfabricated surface. Condensate fragmentation observed in microfabricated magnetic traps was not observed in optical dipole traps at the same location. The measured condensate lifetime was >or=20 s and independent of the atom-surface separation under both magnetic and optical confinement. Radio-frequency spin-flip transitions driven by technical noise were directly observed for optically confined condensates and could limit the condensate lifetime in microfabricated magnetic traps.
Leanhardt
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AE
Department of Physics, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Shin
Y
Y
Chikkatur
A P
AP
Kielpinski
D
D
Ketterle
W
W
Pritchard
D E
DE