Trapping Ultracold Atoms in a Time-Averaged Adiabatic Potential

Abstract

We report the first experimental realization of ultracold atoms confined in a time-averaged, adiabatic potential (TAAP). This novel trapping technique involves using a slowly oscillating ($\sim$ kHz) bias field to time-average the instantaneous potential given by dressing a bare magnetic potential with a high frequency ($\sim$ MHz) magnetic field. The resultant potentials provide a convenient route to a variety of trapping geometries with tunable parameters. We demonstrate the TAAP trap in a standard time-averaged orbiting potential trap with additional Helmholtz coils for the introduction of the radio frequency dressing field. We have evaporatively cooled 5 $\times 10^4$ atoms of $^{87}$Rb to quantum degeneracy and observed condensate lifetimes of over \unit[3]{s}.-