We report an experimental apparatus and technique which simultaneously traps
ions and cold atoms with spatial overlap. Such an apparatus is motivated by the
study of ion-atom processes at temperatures ranging from hot to ultra-cold.
This area is a largely unexplored domain of physics with cold trapped atoms. In
this article we discuss the general design considerations for combining these
two traps and present our experimental setup. The ion trap and atom traps are
characterized independently of each other. The simultaneous operation of both
is then described and experimental signatures of the effect of the ions and
cold-atoms on each other are presented. In conclusion the use of such an
instrument for several problems in physics and chemistry is briefly discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. Figures Fixe
