Atom chip for BEC interferometry

TL;DR

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of an atom chip functioning as a matter wave interferometer, demonstrating coherent splitting and recombination of a Bose-Einstein condensate with stable phase control.

Contribution

It introduces a novel atom chip fabricated via ion-beam milling that enables BEC interferometry with high-quality magnetic traps and coherent matter wave manipulation.

Findings

Successful fabrication of the atom chip with high current density

Demonstration of coherent splitting and recombination of BEC

Stable phase operation of the interferometer

Abstract

We have fabricated and tested an atom chip that operates as a matter wave interferometer. In this communication we describe the fabrication of the chip by ion-beam milling of gold evaporated onto a silicon substrate. We present data on the quality of the wires, on the current density that can be reached in the wires and on the smoothness of the magnetic traps that are formed. We demonstrate the operation of the interferometer, showing that we can coherently split and recombine a Bose-Einstein condensate with good phase stability.