3D modeling of magnetic atom traps on type-II superconductor chips

TL;DR

This paper uses finite element modeling to analyze and predict the properties of magnetic atom traps on type-II superconductor chips, enhancing design accuracy for cold atom experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a finite element method approach to analyze thin film magnetization and transport currents in type-II superconductors for improved trap design.

Findings

Predicted trap depth, shape, and position accurately.

Enhanced understanding of magnetic trap characteristics.

Facilitated design of superconducting atom traps.

Abstract

Magnetic traps for cold atoms have become a powerful tool of cold atom physics and condense matter research. The traps on superconducting chips allow one to increase the trapped atom life- and coherence time by decreasing the thermal noise by several orders of magnitude compared to that of the typical normal-metal conductors. A thin superconducting film in the mixed state is, usually, the main element of such a chip. Using a finite element method to analyze thin film magnetization and transport current in type-II superconductivity, we study magnetic traps recently employed in experiments. The proposed approach allows us to predict important characteristics of the magnetic traps (their depth, shape, distance from the chip surface, etc.) necessary when designing magnetic traps in cold atom experiments.