Trapping of neutral atoms with resonant microwave radiation

Abstract

We discuss a resonant microwave trap for neutral atoms. Because of the long spontaneous radiation time this trap is remarkably different from the optical trap. It also has advantage over static magnetic traps that trap the excited spin state of the lowest electronic level, in that atoms predominantly in the spin ground state can be trapped. We analyze the relaxation-ejection lifetime of atoms in such a trap using the formalism of dressed atomic states. Results are applied to atomic hydrogen and the possibility of Bose-einstin condensation is considered.