Loading atoms into a surface trap: simulations of an experimental scheme

We present simulations of a scheme for the continuous loading of pre-cooled atoms into the lowest energy states of an optical surface trap. The atoms fall under gravity towards the surface of a prism where evanescent waves are used to decelerate the falling atoms and to pump them into a trapped state in an optical standing wave. The simulations are performed using the Monte-Carlo wavefunction technique and are designed to represent the proposed experimental scheme as closely as is practically possible. The probabilities of atoms being pumped into the different trapped states have been calculated as a function of the properties of the braking and pumping fields. The effective temperature of the final distribution of the atoms is calculated in order to find the change in phase-space density. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.