Interaction between single neutral atoms and an ultracold atomic gas*

Recently hybrid systems immersing single atoms in a many body system have been a subject of intense interest. Here we present an example of controlled doping of an ultracold Rubidium cloud with single neutral Cesium impurity atoms. We observe thermalization of ``hot'' Cs atoms by elastic interaction with an ultracold Rb gas, employing different schemes of measuring the impurities' energy distribution. In addition we present a concept and review the current status of a new setup, which will be capable of breeding an all optical BEC in a few seconds. Our setup will feature mechanisms for independently manipulating and imaging both single atoms and the BEC, thereby providing an unrivaled level of control over impurities in a quantum gas. Possible research directions include the investigation of coherent impurity physics and the creation and characterization of polarons in a BEC.