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Q: Quantenoptik

Q 20: Atomoptik I

Q 20.4: Talk

Tuesday, March 16, 1999, 15:00–15:15, PH5

Magnetostatic control of Atoms near Surfaces — •P. Rosenbusch, P. A. Barton, M. G. Boshier, I. G. Hughes, C. V. Saba, B. E. Sauer, and E. A. Hinds — SCOAP, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK

We have demonstrated that a suitably magnetised surface can be used to retroreflect cold atoms. The evolution of an 18  µK cloud of ⁸⁵Rb atoms bouncing freely on a horizontal concave atom mirror was imaged directly up to the 14th bounce [1]. Initially compact, the cloud is alternately collimated (odd bounces) and brought back to a focus (even bounces) when dropped from a height R/4 (R = radius of mirror curvature). An external uniform magnetic field added to the sinus soidal mirror field causes a corrugated potential from which the atoms bounce with increased angular spread. Varying the external field allowed us to control the shape of the reflected cloud. Magnetic surfaces may form a table supporting the atoms against gravity. Electrostatic forces can then be used to manipulate the atoms in the horizontal plane.

[1] C. V. Saba, P. A. Barton, M. G. Boshier, I. G. Hughes, P. Rosenbusch, B. E. Sauer, and E. A. Hinds , submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett.