Method for obtaining high phase space density in a surface-mounted atom trap

Abstract

We describe a method for obtaining a high phase space density of alkali atoms in a surface-mounted microscopic atom trap created above a transparent conductor or permanent magnet on a substrate prism. We show that the peak value of the phase space density can locally reach the level of ∼10-2 when the microtrap is loaded with atoms from a gravito-optical surface trap. Initial spin polarization of the atoms is not required.