Lab Home | Phone | Search
Center for Nonlinear Studies  Center for Nonlinear Studies
 Home 
 People 
 Current 
 Executive Committee 
 Postdocs 
 Visitors 
 Students 
 Research 
 Publications 
 Conferences 
 Workshops 
 Sponsorship 
 Talks 
 Seminars 
 Postdoc Seminars Archive 
 Quantum Lunch 
 Quantum Lunch Archive 
 P/T Colloquia 
 Archive 
 Ulam Scholar 
 
 Postdoc Nominations 
 Student Requests 
 Student Program 
 Visitor Requests 
 Description 
 Past Visitors 
 Services 
 General 
 
 History of CNLS 
 
 Maps, Directions 
 CNLS Office 
 T-Division 
 LANL 
 
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
CNLS Conference Room TA-3 bldg 1690

Quantum Lunch

Fluctuation-induced effects in metallic and superconducting atom chips

Harald R. Haakh
University of Potsdam

Trapping of neutral cold atoms in miniaturized surface-mounted magnetic traps (atom chips) is fundamentally limited by atom surface (Casimir-Polder) forces and losses of trapped atoms due to electromagnetic noise. Theoretical studies of magnetic dipoles trapped clear a metallic or superconducting surface show how the details of charge transport and dissipation in the surface result in characteristic signatures in the trapping lifetime and in the surface-atom interaction. Precise knowledge of these effects is necessary for the design of atom-chips experiments. From another point of view, the same phenomena open a window to both atomic physics and material science on the meso- and microscale, and might even shine new light on unresolved problems in the Casimir effect between macroscopic bodies.

Host: Gennady Berman, T-4: PHYS OF CONDENSED MATTER & COMPLEX SYSTEMS, gpb@lanl.gov