Our paper on “density ripple” measurements of two-point correlation in expanding 1D quasicondensate has just been published in PRA:

Manz, S., Bücker, R., Betz, T., Koller, C., Hofferberth, S., Mazets, I.E., Imambekov, A., Demler, E., Perrin, A., Schmiedmayer, J. & Schumm, T.
Two-point density correlations of quasicondensates in free expansion
Phys. Rev. A, 2010, Vol. 81(3), pp. 031610

We have made our first mirror MOT of fermionic potassium!  It is very tiny for the moment, but we now know that it works!  Our apparatus is a two-chamber setup where a near-resonant beam pushes atoms from a 3D MOT in a collection chamber (housing potassium dispensers) to a “science” chamber containing an atom chip.  [...]

Today, a paper about our fluorescence detection system has been published in NJP:

Bücker, R., Perrin, A., Manz, S., Betz, T., Koller, C., Plisson, T., Rottmann, J., Schumm, T. & Schmiedmayer, J.
Single-particle-sensitive imaging of freely propagating ultracold atoms
New Journal of Physics, 2009, Vol. 11(10), pp. 103039

Since Autumn 2009 we are able to produce Bose-Einstein condensates in a magnetic trap built by substructures underneath the chip, as well as quasi-condensates in a transversely tight confining potential created by our chip structures. The depicted quasi-condensate, containing ~17.000 atoms, is released from the trap and imaged after 12ms [...]

Our theory paper about density correlations in expanding quasi-condensates has been published in PRA today:

Imambekov, A., Mazets, I.E., Petrov, D.S., Gritsev, V., Manz, S., Hofferberth, S., Schumm, T., Demler, E. & Schmiedmayer, J.
Density ripples in expanding low-dimensional gases as a probe of correlations
Phys. Rev. A, 2009, Vol. 80(3), pp. 033604

We have observed matter-wave interference for the first time on our experiment!
After creating a Rb87 BEC in a static magnetic trap, we used radio-frequency fields to create a  dressed-state double-well potential, “splitting” the BEC into two.  We then switched off the trapping potential and allowed the two halves to fall under gravity for 18 ms.  [...]

We have produced our first BEC using the atom chip in our experiment!
(we had previously made a BEC using a macroscopic copper structure situated underneath the chip)
The atom chip trapping wire is 100 micrometres wide and 2.5 micrometres high, carrying  a current of 800 mA.  The Rb87 BEC has approximately 100,000 atoms.

We have now created our first BEC on our new experimental setup. The BEC was created in a trap formed by a (macroscopic) copper Z structure that lies beneath the atom chip.

We have now loaded (rubidium-87) atoms into our new atom chip trap in the KRb lab for the first time.

Today, in APL appeared a paper about an intelligent breed of computers taking over control of a cold atom experiment using their superior genetics skills. In fact, it was our lab. We are not scared.

Rohringer, W., Bücker, R., Manz, S., Betz, T., Koller, C., Göbel, M., Perrin, A., Schmiedmayer, J. & Schumm, T.
Stochastic optimization of a cold atom experiment using a genetic algorithm
Applied Physics Letters, 2008, Vol. 93(26), pp. 264101