Stuttgart 2012 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 42: Ultra-cold atoms, ions and BEC IV

A 42.3: Talk

Friday, March 16, 2012, 11:15–11:30, V57.03

Superconducting Atom Chips for Ultracold Atoms — •Simon Bernon, Helge Hattermann, Florian Jessen, Daniel Cano, Daniel Bothner, Martin Knufinke, Matthias Kemmler, Reinhold Kleiner, Dieter Koelle, and Jozsef Fortagh — Physikalisches Institut, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, CQ Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena and their Applications, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany

Hybrid quantum systems, which combine ultra-cold atoms with solid-state devices, have attracted considerable attention in the last years. Promising applications have been proposed in the areas of precision sensing and quantum information processing for which the long coherence time of atomic ensembles completes very well the fast logical operations performed by solid-state devices.
We report on experiments on ultracold atoms in a superconducting microtrap based on Niobium microstructures at 4.2K. Our data show that we achieved a full control of the magnetic fields of the trap, even in the vicinity of the superconductor where the trap positions and frequencies are modified by the Meissner effect. We also proved that electromagnetic noise near the superconductor is below the Johnson noise limit of normal conductor. This suggests long coherence time of atomic spin states even in the close proximity of superconductors. As a further step, we implemented a superconducting atom chip made of Niobium thin film wires on a Sapphire substrate. There, we achieved Bose-Einstein condensation showing the compatibility and interfacing of cold atoms and integrated superconducting chip.