Stable Neutral Atom Trap with a Thin Superconducting Disc

Journal Article · Fri Dec 18 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.103.253002· OSTI ID:21370911

Shimizu, Fujio ^[1]; Hufnagel, Christoph; Mukai, Tetsuya ^[1]

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1. NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-1, Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198 (Japan)

A stable magnetic quadrupole trap for neutral atoms on a superconducting Nb thin-film disc is demonstrated. The quadrupole field is composed of the magnetic field that is generated by vortices on the disc introduced by cooling the disc across the transition temperature with a finite field and an oppositely directed uniform field applied after cooling. The trap is stable when all trapping processes are performed above the dendritic instability temperature T{sub a}. When the field intensity is changed below this temperature, the quadrupole field collapses and the trap disappears. The initial vortex density decreases even when the external field is changed at a temperature T>T{sub a}. However, the vortex density is stabilized at an equilibrium density, whereas at T<T{sub a}, it almost completely disappears. A stable trap can be formed, even when the initial vortices are introduced through a dendritic avalanche.

• OSTI ID: 21370911
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 25 Vol. 103; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMS
COOLING
CRYSTALS
DENDRITES
EQUILIBRIUM
FILMS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE