Permanent magnetic lattices for ultracold atoms and quantum degenerate gases

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to create magnetic lattices using permanent magnetic films for trapping ultracold atoms, enabling stable, high-depth microtraps with precise control for quantum experiments.

Contribution

It demonstrates the design of 1D and 2D magnetic lattices with non-zero potential minima using analytical and numerical methods, advancing atom trapping technology.

Findings

Magnetic lattices can produce stable microtraps with non-zero potential minima.

2D magnetic lattices can achieve trap depths around 0.5 mK.

The proposed designs allow for tight confinement of ultracold atoms.

Abstract

We propose the use of periodic arrays of permanent magnetic films for producing magnetic lattices of microtraps for confining, manipulating and controlling small clouds of ultracold atoms and quantum degenerate gases. Using analytical expressions and numerical calculations we show that periodic arrays of magnetic films can produce one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) magnetic lattices with non-zero potential minima, allowing ultracold atoms to be trapped without losses due to spin flips. In particular, we show that two crossed layers of periodic arrays of parallel rectangular magnets plus bias fields, or a single layer of periodic arrays of square-shaped magnets with three different thicknesses plus bias fields, can produce 2D magnetic lattices of microtraps having non-zero potential minima and controllable trap depth. For arrays with micron-scale periodicity, the magnetic microtraps can have very large trap depths ($\sim$0.5 mK for the realistic parameters chosen for the 2D lattice) and very tight confinement.