Bose-Einstein Condensation in a CO2-laser Optical Dipole Trap

We report on the achieving of Bose-Einstein condensation of a dilute atomic gas based on trapping atoms in tightly confining CO2-laser dipole potentials. Quantum degeneracy of rubidium atoms is reached by direct evaporative cooling in both crossed and single beam trapping geometries. At the heart of these alloptical condensation experiments is the ability to obtain high initial atomic densities in quasistatic dipole traps by laser cooling techniques. Finally, we demonstrate the formation of a condensate in a field insensitive mF = 0 spin projection only. This suppresses fluctuations of the chemical potential from stray magnetic fields.