Trapping and Manipulation of Laser-Cooled Metastable Argon Atoms at a Surface

Abstract

This thesis discusses experiments on the all-optical trapping and manipulation of laser-cooled metastable argon atoms at a surface.<br /><br />A magneto-optical surface trap (MOST) has been realized and studied. This novel hybrid trap combines a magneto-optical trap at a metallic surface with an optical evanescent-wave atom mirror. It allows for laser-cooling and trapping of atoms in contact<br />with an evanescent light field that separates the atomic cloud from the surface by a fraction of an optical wavelength.<br /><br />Based on this work, the continuous loading of a planar matter waveguide has been demonstrated. Loading into the waveguide, which was formed by the optical potential<br />of a red-detuned standing light wave above the surface, was achieved via evanescent-field optical pumping from the MOST in sub-µm distance from the surface.<br /><br />In subsequent experiments, several light-induced atom-optical elements have been demonstrated in the planar waveguide geometry, including a continuous atom source, a switchable channel guide, an atom detector and an optical surface lattice. The source, the channel and the detector have been combined to form a simple<br />atom-optical integrated circuit.