Bose-Einstein condensation in a simple microtrap

A Bose-Einstein condensate is created in a simple and robust miniature Ioffe-Pritchard trap, the so-called Z trap. This trap results from the mere combination of a Z-shaped current-carrying wire and a homogeneous bias field. The experimental procedure allows condensation of typically $3\times {10}^5$ ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms in the $|F=2,$ $m_F=2\mathrm{}〉$ state close to any mirroring surface, irrespective of the surface structure. Thus it is ideally suited as a simple coherent source for miniature surface traps or for cold atom physics near surfaces.