Low-SWaP magneto-optical trap enabled by planar photonic and magnetic components.

Abstract

Compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient cold-atom systems are foundational for the development of deployable quantum technologies, yet their realization remains largely constrained due to reliance on bulky optical and magnetic components. Here, we demonstrate a record-low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) magneto-optical trap architecture seamlessly integrating planar photonic and magnetic components into a monolithic, scalable, and manufacturable platform. This is achieved by developing a multifunctional metasurface that converts a linearly-polarized Gaussian beam into a circularly-polarized flat-top beam (FTB), replacing conventional lens-waveplate assemblies. In parallel, a planar magnetic coil chip substitutes bulky anti-Helmholtz coils and generates the required quadrupole magnetic field with substantially reduced power consumption. Using D₂ line cooling of ⁸⁷Rb atoms, the fully planar system achieves nearly an order-of-magnitude improvement in trapped-atom number while operating at a fraction of the SWaP of traditional implementations. This planar integration strategy provides an energy-efficient and scalable pathway toward robust, deployable cold-atom platforms.