  We have developed and characterized an atom-guiding technique that loads
$3\times10^6$ cold rubidium atoms into hollow-core optical fibre, an
order-of-magnitude larger than previously reported results. This result was
possible because it was guided by a physically realistic simulation that could
provide the specifications for loading efficiencies of 3% and a peak optical
depth of 600. The simulation further showed that the demonstrated loading
efficiency is limited solely by the geometric overlap of the atom cloud and the
optical guide beam, and is thus open to further improvement with experimental
modification. The experimental arrangement allows observation of the real-time
effects of light-assisted cold atom collisions and background gas collisions by
tracking the dynamics of the cold atom cloud as it falls into the fibre. The
combination of these observations, and physical understanding from the
simulation, allows estimation of the limits to loading cold atoms into
hollow-core fibres.
