Guided transport of ultracold gases of rubidium up to a room-temperature dielectric surface

We report on the guided transport of an atomic sample along an optical waveguide up to a room-temperature dielectric surface. The technique exploits a simple hybrid trap consisting of a single beam dipole trap positioned ~125 {\mu}m below the field zero of a magnetic quadrupole potential. Transportation is realised by applying a moderate bias field (<12 G) to displace the magnetic field zero along the axis of the dipole trap. We use the technique to demonstrate that atomic gases may be precisely positioned at controlled distances from the surface with negligible heating or loss. This work forms an excellent basis for future studies of atom-surface interactions using ultracold atomic gases.