| This dissertation details the experimental methods used to produce a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in an optical box trap. This novel optical trap type has strong confinement in two directions comparable to that which is possible in an optical lattice, yet produces individually addressable condensates. The optical trap is based on an pair of elongated Hermite-Gaussian TEM 01 mode beams and tailored by designer box wall beams. Using this method, we have succeeded in producing individual highly confined lower dimensional condensates. The box trap is integrated with single atom detection capability, paving the way for studies of quantum atom statistics. |
