Trapping cold atoms near carbon nanotubes: Thermal spin flips and Casimir-Polder potential

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.75.062905· OSTI ID:20991157

Fermani, R; Scheel, S; Knight, P L ^[1]

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1. Quantum Optics and Laser Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

We investigate the possibility of trapping ultracold {sup 87}Rb atoms near the outside of a metallic carbon nanotube, which we imagine using as a miniaturized current-carrying wire. We calculate atomic spin-flip lifetimes and compare the strength of the Casimir-Polder potential with the magnetic trapping potential. Our analysis indicates that the Casimir-Polder force is the dominant loss mechanism, and we compute the minimum distance to the carbon nanotube at which the atoms can be trapped to be larger than 100 nm.

• OSTI ID: 20991157
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 75; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
CARBON
CASIMIR EFFECT
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
LIFETIME
LOSSES
NANOTUBES
POTENTIALS
RUBIDIUM 87
SPIN FLIP
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
TRAPPING
TRAPS
WIRES