Spin Decoherence in Superconducting Atom Chips

Abstract

Using a consistent quantum-mechanical treatment for the electromagnetic radiation, we theoretically investigate the magnetic spin-flip scatterings of a neutral two-level atom trapped in the vicinity of a superconducting body. We derive a simple scaling law for the corresponding spin-flip lifetime for such an atom trapped near a superconducting thick slab. For temperatures below the superconducting transition temperature T_c, the lifetime is found to be enhanced by several orders of magnitude in comparison to the case of a normal conducting slab. At zero temperature the spin-flip lifetime is given by the unbounded free-space value.