Analogs of basic electronic circuit elements in a free-space atom chip

Abstract

Using a thermal sample of laser-cooled rubidium atoms, we have constructed a neutral-atom circuit analogous to an electronic capacitor discharged through a resistor. The atoms are confined using what we call a free-space atom chip, an optical dipole trap created using a generalized phase-contrast imaging technique. We have also calculated theoretical values for the capacitance and resistance, which agree with our experiments, as well as theoretical value for an atomic analog of electrical inductance. We show that atomic capacitance is analogous to the quantum capacitance, the atomic resistance is analogous to the ballistic, or Sharvin resistance, and the atomic inductance is analogous to kinetic inductance.