Bose-Einstein condensation on a superconducting atom chip

TL;DR

This paper reports the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate on a superconducting atom chip, enabling new studies of atom-surface interactions and decoherence at ultracold temperatures.

Contribution

First demonstration of BEC on a superconducting atom chip using superconducting wires in a cryogenic environment.

Findings

BEC formed with 10^4 atoms at 100 nK

Successful integration of superconducting technology with ultracold atom experiments

Potential for studying atom losses and decoherence near superconducting surfaces

Abstract

We have produced a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) on an atom chip using only superconducting wires in a cryogenic environment. We observe the onset of condensation for 10^4 atoms at a temperature of 100 nK. This result opens the way for studies of atom losses and decoherence in a BEC interacting with a superconducting surface. Studies of dipole-blockade with long-lived Rydberg atoms in a small and dense atomic sample are underway.