Atom chip microscopy: A novel probe for strongly correlated materials

Atom chip technology---substrates supporting micron-sized current-carrying wires that create magnetic microtraps near surfaces for thermal or degenerate gases of neutral atoms---will enable single-shot, large area detection of magnetic flux below the $10^{-7}$ flux quantum level. By harnessing the extreme sensitivity of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) to external perturbations, cryogenic atom chips could provide a magnetic flux detection capability that surpasses all other techniques by a factor of $10^2$--$10^3$. We describe the merits of atom chip microscopy, our Rb BEC and atom chip apparatus, and prospects for imaging strongly correlated condensed matter materials.