BEC in a microchip trap: integrated atom optics

Summary form only given. Bose-Einstein condensation provides us with a laser-like matter wave, and is therefore an ideal source for coherent atom-optical experiments. Our technique of preparing a condensate on a microchip not only simplifies condensate production, but allows coherent manipulation of the matter wave while it remains confined in all three dimensions. This means, for example, that the sensitivity of an on-chip atom interferometer can be increased without increasing the area of the chip. In our magnetic conveyor belt, we have already demonstrated transport of the condensate over distances of several millimeters without loss of coherence. The talk will present recent progress in these experiments, including our work towards a single-atom detector on the chip.