Realization of a mirror magneto-optical trap

We present details for construction and the operation of a mirror magneto-optical trap for cooling and trapping rubidium atoms. For trap operation, only four input laser beams are needed in contrast to the normal six for a standard trap. In excess of 108 atoms have been trapped with this arrangement, with the atomic ensemble only ∼1mm from the surface of a reflective mirror. This trap is highly suited to studies of magnetic guiding and magnetic manipulation of cold atomic ensembles.