Design of magnetic traps for neutral atoms with vortices in type-II superconducting micro-structures

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method for designing magnetic traps for neutral atoms using vortices in type-II superconductors, enabling versatile trapping potentials without transport currents.

Contribution

It introduces a vortex-based trapping design utilizing Bean's critical-state model, allowing programmable magnetic fields for atom trapping in superconducting micro-structures.

Findings

Vortex patterns can be controlled via loading-field and current sequences.

Magnetic fields from vortices are comparable to those from normal conducting wires.

Versatile and programmable atom traps are achievable with this method.

Abstract

We design magnetic traps for atoms based on the average magnetic field of vortices induced in a type-II superconducting thin film. This magnetic field is the critical ingredient of the demonstrated vortex-based atom traps, which operate without transport current. We use Bean's critical-state method to model the vortex field through mesoscopic supercurrents induced in the thin strip. The resulting inhomogeneous magnetic fields are studied in detail and compared to those generated by multiple normally-conducting wires with transport currents. Various vortex patterns can be obtained by programming different loading-field and transport current sequences. These variable magnetic fields are employed to make versatile trapping potentials.