Abstract

We propose a new class of permanent magnetic lattices on an atom chip for producing 1D and 2D periodic arrays of Ioffe-Pritchard magnetic micro-traps with variable barrier height for trapping and manipulating ultracold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates. The barrier height of the microtraps may be varied by changing a bias magnetic eld. In one of the congurations, we show how we can go from a 1D array of 2D microtraps to a 2D array of 3D microtraps by changing the angle between two crossed arrays of parallel rectangular magnets. Furthermore, by chang- ing the angle between the crossed arrays of magnets, the barrier heights can be varied. This suggests the possibility of performing a type of `mechanical' BEC to Mott insulator quantum phase transition in a permanent magnetic lattice.