The integration of cold atoms with nanophotonic chips is a promising approach for realizing scalable quantum technologies, yet stable trapping of single atoms near chip surfaces remains an outstanding challenge. Here we study the dynamics of single ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms near the surface of a photonic chip by deterministically delivering single atoms to sub-10-$\text{μ}\mathrm{m}$ distances from the chip surface using optical tweezers. We use a translatable tweezer to transport atoms to the chip surface, revealing that atom loss is dominated by surface-induced evaporation as atoms at temperatures of approximately $0.1\mathrm{mK}$ collide with the 300 K surface. To overcome this loss mechanism, we implement an optical conveyor belt technique that transfers atoms in a standing-wave tweezer, preventing direct surface collisions. This approach enables single-atom lifetimes of up to 4 s in close proximity to the chip without the assistance of additional laser cooling. Our results demonstrate the viability of long-lived atomic qubits when they are integrated with photonic circuits and provide design insights for hybrid quantum systems. These advancements pave the way for the creation of scalable atom-photon interfaces, which could find applications in quantum networking, computation, simulation, and sensing.

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• Atom & ion trapping & guiding
• Hybrid quantum systems
• Integrated optics
• Quantum information with atoms & light
• Alkali metals
• Atomic gases
• Ultracold gases
• Optical tweezers