Atom optics

Atom optics

Atom optics (or atomic optics) is the area of physics which deals with beams of cold, slowly moving neutral atoms, as a special case of a particle beam.

Like an optical beam, the atomic beam may exhibit diffraction and interference, and can be focused with
Fresnel lens cite journal
url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v83/i21/p4229_1
author=R.B.Doak
coauthors=R.E.Grisenti, S.Rehbein, G.Schmahl, J.P.Toennies, and Ch. Wöll
title=Towards Realization of an Atomic de Broglie Microscope: Helium Atom Focusing Using Fresnel Zone Plates
journal=PRL
volume=83
pages=4229–4232
year=1999
doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.4229
format=subscription required] or a concave atomic mirrorcite journal
comment=3
url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v63/i16/p1689_1
author= J.J.Berkhout
coauthors= O.J.Luiten, I.D.Setija, T.W.Hijmans, T.Mizusaki, and J.T.M.Walraven
title=Quantum reflection: Focusing of hydrogen atoms with a concave mirror
journal=PRL
volume=63
issue=16
pages=1689–1692
year=1989
doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.1689
format=subscription required] .

Several scientific groups work in this fieldAtom Optics at the University of Queensland (Australia) homepage http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/atomoptics/] Atom Optics, Coherence and Ultra Cold Atoms at the Institute for Laser Science (Japan) homepage http://www.ils.uec.ac.jp/Eatomoptics.html] .

Until 2006, the resolution of imaging systems based on atomic beams was not better than that of an optical microscope,mainly due to the poor performance of the focusing elements. Such elements use small numerical aperture;usually, atomic mirrors use grazing incidence, and the reflecticity drops drasticcally with increase of the
grazing angle; for efficient normal reflection, atoms should be ultra-cold (Bose-Einstein Condensate), andthe deal with such atoms likes a trapping rather than an optics.

Recent scientific publications about Atom Nano-Optics,
evanescent field lenses [V.Balykin, V.Klimov, and V.Letokhov. OPN, March 2005, p.44-48;http://www.osa-opn.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPN-16-3-44] and ridged mirrors cite journal
url=http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PRLTAO000094000001013203000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes
author= H.Oberst
coauthors=D.Kouznetsov, K.Shimizu, J.Fujita, and F. Shimizu
title=Fresnel Diffraction Mirror for an Atomic Wave
journal=PRL
volume=94
pages=013203
year=2005
doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.013203] cite journal
url=http://stacks.iop.org/0953-4075/39/1605
author= D.Kouznetsov
coauthors=H. Oberst, K. Shimizu, A. Neumann, Y. Kuznetsova, J.-F. Bisson, K. Ueda, S. R. J. Brueck
title=Ridged atomic mirrors and atomic nanoscope
journal=JOPB
volume=39
pages=1605–1623
year=2006
doi=10.1088/0953-4075/39/7/005] show significant improvement since the beginning of the 21st century. In particular, an
atomic hologram can be realized cite journal
title = Reflection-Type Hologram for Atoms
author = Shimizu
coauthors=J.Fujita
journal = PRL
volume = 88
number = 12
pages = 123201
numpages = 4
year = 2002
comment=9
month = Mar
url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v88/i12/e123201
publisher = American Physical Society
format = subscription required] .

More bibliography about Atom Optics can be found at the Resource Letter [B.Rohwedder.Resource Letter AON-1: Atom optics, a tool for nanofabrication.
American Journal of Physics v.75, Issue 5, p.394-406http://scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/AJPIAS-ft/vol_75/iss_5/394_1.htmlDOI:10.1119/1.2673209 ] . Also, there is an updating bibliography list about atom mirrors at [ Atom Mirror Bibliography (list is updated frequently) http://www.phys.lsu.edu/~jdowling/aobib.html] .

ee also

* Atomic mirror (physics)
* Quantum reflection
* Ridged mirror
* Atomic nanoscope

References and external links

*Pierre Meystre. Atom Optics (Hardcover), a little bit commercial link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0387952748/


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