Trapping and Manipulation of Laser-Cooled Metastable Argon Atoms at a Surface

This thesis discusses experiments on the all-optical trapping and manipulation of lasercooled metastable argon atoms at a surface. A magneto-optical surface trap (MOST) has been realized and studied. This novel hybrid trap combines a magneto-optical trap at a metallic surface with an optical evanescent-wave atom mirror. It allows laser-cooling and trapping of atoms in contact with an evanescent light field that separates the atomic cloud from the surface by a fraction of an optical wavelength. Based on this work, the continuous loading of a planar matter waveguide has been demonstrated. Loading into the waveguide, which was formed by the optical potential of a red-detuned standing light wave above the surface, was achieved via evanescentfield optical pumping from the MOST in subm distance from the surface. In subsequent experiments, several light-induced atom-optical elements have been demonstrated in the planar waveguide geometry, including a continuous atom source, a switchable channel guide, an atom detector and an optical surface lattice. The source, the channel and the detector have been combined to form the first, albeit simple, atomoptical integrated circuit.