Diffraction of a Bose-Einstein condensate from a magnetic lattice on a microchip

We experimentally study the diffraction of a Bose-Einstein condensate from a magnetic lattice, realized by a set of 372 parallel gold conductors which are microfabricated on a silicon substrate. The conductors generate a periodic potential for the atoms with a lattice constant of 4 microm. After exposing the condensate to the lattice for several milliseconds we observe diffraction up to fifth order by standard time of flight imaging techniques. The experimental data can be quantitatively interpreted with a simple phase imprinting model. The demonstrated diffraction grating offers promising perspectives for the construction of an integrated atom interferometer.