  In most experiments with atoms trapped in optical lattices, the transverse
size of the optical lattice beams is on the order of tens of micrometers, and
loading many atoms into smaller optical lattices has not been carefully
investigated. We report trapping 1500 $^{171}$Yb atoms in a one-dimensional
optical lattice generated by a narrow cavity mode at a distance of 0.14 mm from
a mirror surface. The simplest approach of loading atoms from a mirror
magneto-optical trap overlapped with the cavity mode allows the adjustment of
the loading position by tuning a uniform bias magnetic field. The number of
atoms trapped in the optical lattice exhibits two local maxima for different
lattice depths, with a global maximum in the deeper lattice. These results open
a way to quantum mechanical manipulation of atoms based on strong interaction
with a tightly focused light field.
