  We analyze atom-surface magnetic interactions on atom chips where the
magnetic trapping potentials are produced by current carrying wires made of
electrically anisotropic materials. We discuss a theory for time dependent
fluctuations of the magnetic potential, arising from thermal noise originating
from the surface. It is shown that using materials with a large electrical
anisotropy results in a considerable reduction of heating and decoherence rates
of ultra-cold atoms trapped near the surface, of up to several orders of
magnitude. The trap loss rate due to spin flips is expected to be significantly
reduced upon cooling the surface to low temperatures. In addition, the
electrical anisotropy significantly suppresses the amplitude of static spatial
potential corrugations due to current scattering within imperfect wires. Also
the shape of the corrugation pattern depends on the electrical anisotropy: the
preferred angle of the scattered current wave fronts can be varied over a wide
range. Materials, fabrication, and experimental issues are discussed, and
specific candidate materials are suggested.
