Ex Vacuo Atom Chips
POSTER
Abstract
We report on recent progress in our group's development of direct-bonded copper atom chip technology. These chips, in conjunction with a custom thin-walled vacuum chamber, allow the production of deep magnetic traps and degenerate Bose gases while keeping the atom chip itself outside of the vacuum envelope. This enables rapid testing of novel chip designs without disturbing either the vacuum quality or the optical alignment of the larger system.