The invention provides for a variety of configuration in which an atom chip (20) or an assembly of atom chips encloses a vacuum chamber (21). Herein an atom chip (20) is any generally planar device with elements for interacting with cold atoms, e.g., for cooling, detecting, or manipulating cold atoms. A cold atom herein is an atom, ion, or molecule with a temperature below 1 degree Kelvin. A boundary wall (29) is a wall that, when a vacuum is induced in the interior of a chamber, faces the vacuum on one side an external environment on an opposing side. A boundary wall (29) is at least partially constituted by an atom chip (20) if removing the atom chip would destroy the vacuum capability of the chamber.
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