Magnetic lattices for ultracold atoms

TL;DR

This review discusses advances in magnetic lattices created by patterned magnetic films for trapping ultracold atoms, highlighting recent experimental achievements including Bose-Einstein condensates and sub-micron structures for quantum simulations.

Contribution

It summarizes recent developments in magnetic lattice fabrication and experimental trapping of ultracold atoms, including novel structures and proposals for quantum information applications.

Findings

Realization of multiple Bose-Einstein condensates in a 10 micron-period lattice

Fabrication of sub-micron-period magnetic lattice structures

Proposal for using Rydberg atoms for spin-spin interactions

Abstract

This article reviews the development in our laboratory of magnetic lattices comprising periodic arrays of magnetic microtraps created by patterned magnetic films to trap periodic arrays of ultracold atoms. Recent achievements include the realisation of multiple Bose-Einstein condensates in a 10 micron-period one-dimensional magnetic lattice; the fabrication of sub-micron-period square and triangular magnetic lattice structures suitable for quantum tunnelling experiments; the trapping of ultracold atoms in a sub-micron-period triangular magnetic lattice; and a proposal to use long-range interacting Rydberg atoms to achieve spin-spin interactions between sites in a large-spacing magnetic lattice.