Abstract

Here we report on all-electric trapping of Rb atoms. Electric trapping of neutral atoms in time-varying electric fields was proposed in the early nineties [1]. Recently, Katori and co-workers demonstrated first electric trapping in a micro trap [2]. We have shown two-dimensional trapping (guiding) of neutral molecules in time-varying electric fields with a similar technique. The perspective of sympathetic cooling of molecules with atoms led us to set up an experiment for trapping neutral atoms in time-varying electric fields. In contrast to the one in Ref [2], our electric trap is of millimeter size, allowing good optical access, as can be seen in the figure.

© 2007 IEEE