We have developed an atom chip using techniques which allow us to fabricate the chip entirely in house.

UQ atom chip with electrical connections before going into the vacuum chamber

Our chip consists of a 125 micrometer thick silver foil glued to a ceramic substrate with UHV compatible epoxy (Epotek H77).  The foil is polished to a mirror finish and insulating track have been cut into the foil using a 0.15 mm cutter on a CNC mill.  Four wires (0.2 mm thick) have been patterned this way, two of which form parallel Z-traps and two which are used to vary the axial confinement.  Because of the large cross-section of the wires (0.1mm X 0.2mm) the wires are capable of holding sustained currents of several amps without overheating.

Images from the lab