Compact high-flux source of cold sodium atoms

We present a compact source of cold sodium atoms suitable for the production of quantum degenerate gases and versatile for a multi-species experiment. The magnetic field produced by permanent magnets allows to simultaneously realize a Zeeman slower and a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) within an order of magnitude smaller length than standard sodium sources. We achieve an atomic flux exceeding 4 x 10(9) atoms/s loaded in a MOT, with a most probable longitudinal velocity of 20 m/s, and a brightness larger than 2.5 x 10(12) atoms/s/sr. This atomic source allows us to produce pure Bose-Einstein condensates with more than 10(7) atoms and a background pressure limited lifetime of 5 min. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.