title: Spin decoherence in superconducting atom chips.
abstract: Using a consistent quantum-mechanical treatment for the electromagnetic radiation, we theoretically investigate the magnetic spin-flip scatterings of a neutral two-level atom trapped in the vicinity of a superconducting body. We derive a simple scaling law for the corresponding spin-flip lifetime for such an atom trapped near a superconducting thick slab. For temperatures below the superconducting transition temperature Tc, the lifetime is found to be enhanced by several orders of magnitude in comparison to the case of a normal conducting slab. At zero temperature the spin-flip lifetime is given by the unbounded free-space value.
authors.affiliation: Complex Systems and Soft Materials Research Group, Department of Physics, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. boskag@phys.ntnu.no
authors.forename: Bo-Sture K
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Skagerstam
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hohenester
authors.forename: Asier
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eiguren
authors.forename: Per Kristian
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Rekdal