Bose-Einstein Condensates near a Microfabricated Surface
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 $\ensuremath{\ge}20\text{ }\mathrm{s}$ and independent of the atom-surface separation under both magnetic and optical confinement. Radio-frequency …