EPL, 81 (2008) 56004
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/81/56004

Bose-Einstein condensation on a superconducting atom chip

C. Roux¹, A. Emmert¹, A. Lupascu¹, T. Nirrengarten¹, G. Nogues¹, M. Brune¹, J.-M. Raimond¹ and S. Haroche<sup>1, 2

1</sup>  Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, ENS, UPMC, CNRS - 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
²  Collège de France - 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France

nogues@lkb.ens.fr

received 4 December 2007; accepted in final form 18 January 2008; published March 2008
published online 19 February 2008

Abstract
We have produced a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) on an atom chip using only superconducting wires in a cryogenic environment. We observe the onset of condensation for 110⁴ atoms at a temperature of 100 nK. This result opens the way for studies of atom losses and decoherence in a BEC interacting with a superconducting surface. Studies of dipole-blockade with long-lived Rydberg atoms in a small and dense atomic sample are underway.

PACS
67.85.-d - Ultracold gases, trapped gases.
37.10.Gh - Atom traps and guides.
03.75.Gg - Entanglement and decoherence in Bose-Einstein condensates.

© EPLA 2008