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We present experiments with cold atoms in optical dipole potentials which are directed towards developing an integrated coherent atom optics with micro-optical systems. We describe an experiment on evaporative cooling in a far-detuned optical dipole trap for ⁸⁷Rb. The dipole trap is created by a solid state laser at a wavelength of 1030 nm. To achieve high initial phase space densities allowing for efficient evaporative cooling, we have optimised the loading process from a magneto-optical trap into the dipole trap. Starting with an initial phase space density of 2 × 10⁻⁴ the trap depth was ramped down and temperatures below 200 nK and phase space densities of about 0.2 could be reached. These investigations aim at the creation of an ’all-optical’ BEC based on a simple experimental scheme. As an example for an integrated atom optical system, we present the transport of atoms in a ring-shaped guiding structure, i.e. optical storage ring, for cold atoms which is produced by a micro-fabricated ring lens.

CONFERENCE ON ATOMS AND MOLECULES NEAR SURFACES (CAMS) 4–8 April 2005, Internationales Wissenschaftsforum, Heidelberg, Germany