A minimalistic and optimized conveyor belt for neutral atoms

We report the design and performance of a micro-fabricated conveyor belt for the precise and adiabatic transportation of rubidium (Rb) cold atoms. A theoretical model is presented to determine the least number of conveyor conductors are required as well as for the optimisation of current through them for an adiabatic transportation of atoms. We experimentally demonstrate with as few as three conveyor conductors an adiabatic transportation of $^{87}$Rb cold atoms with minimal loss. This novel design, a multilayered conveyor belt structure fabricated in aluminium nitride (AlN), would not only simplify the fabrication process of the conveyor belt, but also reduce the complex electrical connections inside the vacuum chamber. The minimized number of conveyor conductors ensures the reduction in the number of power supplies. This demonstration would pave a way for a portable quantum device required for quantum information processing and sensors, where precise positioning of the cold atoms is indispensable.