Continuous loading of a magnetic trap - art. no. 031405

We have realized a scheme for continuous loading of a magnetic trap (MT). C r-52 atoms are continuously captured and cooled in a magneto-optical trap ( MOT). Optical pumping to a metastable state decouples atoms from the coolin g light. Due to their high magnetic moment (6 mu (B)), low-field seeking me tastable atoms are trapped in the magnetic quadrupole field provided by the MOT. Limited by inelastic collisions between atoms in the MOT and in the M T, we load 10(8) metastable atoms at a rate of 10(8) atoms/s below 100 muK into the MT. Optical repumping after the loading allows us to realize a MT of ground-state chromium atoms.