Atom lithography with ytterbium beam

We successfully produced periodic ytterbium (Yb) narrow lines on a substrate using near-resonant laser light and the direct-write atom-lithography technique. The Yb atom is a promising material for nanofabrication using atom optics due to its electrical conductivity, the laser wavelength required for handling the atoms, the vapor pressure of the fabrication process, etc. The ¹⁷⁴Yb atoms collimated by Doppler cooling were channeled by the dipole force of an optical standing wave and then deposited onto a substrate. We clearly observed a grating pattern of Yb atoms fabricated on the substrate with a line separation of approximately 200 nm after examining the surface of the substrate with atomic force microscope. This is the first demonstration of nanofabrication using the atom-optical approach with Yb atoms. PACS 32.80.-t; 32.80.-Pj     

An optical conveyor belt for single neutral atoms

Using optical dipole forces we have realized controlled transport of a single or any desired small number of neutral atoms over a distance of a centimeter with sub-micrometer precision. A standing wave dipole trap is loaded with a prescribed number of cesium atoms from a magneto-optical trap. Mutual detuning of the counter-propagating laser beams moves the interference pattern, allowing us to accelerate and stop the atoms at preselected points along the standing wave. The transportation efficiency is close to 100%. This optical ‘single-atom conveyor belt’ represents a versatile tool for future experiments requiring deterministic delivery of a prescribed number of atoms on demand. Received: 6 July 2001 / Published online: 23 November 2001     

Phase-sensitive detection of bragg scattering at 1D optical lattices

We report on the observation of Bragg scattering at 1D atomic lattices. Cold atoms are confined by optical dipole forces at the antinodes of a standing wave generated by the two counterpropagating modes of a laser-driven high-finesse ring cavity. By heterodyning the Bragg-scattered light with a reference beam, we obtain detailed information on phase shifts imparted by the Bragg scattering process. Being deep in the Lamb-Dicke regime, the scattered light is not broadened by the motion of individual atoms.     

Optical polarizabilities of large molecules measured in near-field interferometry

We discuss a novel application of matter wave interferometry to characterize the scalar optical polarizability of molecules at 532 nm. The interferometer presented here consists of two material absorptive gratings and one central optical phase grating. The interaction of the molecules with the standing light wave is determined by the optical dipole force and is therefore directly dependent on the molecular polarizability at the wavelength of the diffracting laser light. By comparing the observed matter-wave interference contrast with a theoretical model for several intensities of the standing light wave and molecular velocities, we can infer the polarizability in this first proof-of-principle experiment for the fullerenes C₆₀ and C₇₀, and we find a good agreement with literature values. PACS 03.75.Dg; 03.65.-w; 33.15.Kr     

Analysis of Cr atom focusing deposition properties in the double half Gaussian standing wave field

The use of the dipole force on atoms is a new technology that is used to build nanostructures. In this way, a high quality standard nano-grating can be obtained. Based on the semi-classical model, the motion equation is investigated and the trajectories of atoms in double half Gaussian standing wave field are simulated. Compared with the Gaussian standing wave field, the double half Gaussian standing wave can well focus the Cr atoms. In order to obtain this kind of beam, a prism is designed and the experimental result shows that the beam is well generated.     

高斯激光驻波场沉积Na原子的量子理论分析

利用量子理论,通过CRANK-NICOLSON数值方法对23Na原子受激光驻波场作用的物理过程进行模拟.模拟结果表明:正失谐时,原子以λ/2为周期会聚在驻波光场中波节处.随着光势阱加深或原子纵向速度改变,原子会聚结果分别符合薄透镜、厚透镜及沟道化模型.厚透镜模型中,当原子纵向速度增加,原子密度峰位置沿z方向向后漂移,峰在z方向半高宽增加.当激光功率增加或激光束腰减小,会聚面上峰半高宽减小,对比度增加,峰值增加.     

Nanoscale focusing of atoms with a pulsed standing wave

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the focusing properties of a detuned pulsed standing wave onto a beam of neutral atoms. In close analogy to the continuous-wave situation the dipole force leads to a periodic focusing of atoms with a period of λ/2, provided an adiabatic condition is fulfilled. Pulsed laser light is conveniently converted to short wavelengths and hence offers advantages in the application of atom lithography with elements of technological interest having blue or UV resonance lines. Received: 6 October 1999 / Revised version: 3 February 2000 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Submicrometer position control of single trapped neutral atoms

We optically detect the positions of single neutral cesium atoms stored in a standing wave dipole trap with a subwavelength resolution of 143 nm rms. The distance between two simultaneously trapped atoms is measured with an even higher precision of 36 nm rms. We resolve the discreteness of the interatomic distances due to the 532 nm spatial period of the standing wave potential and infer the exact number of trapping potential wells separating the atoms. Finally, combining an initial position detection with a controlled transport, we place single atoms at a predetermined position along the trap axis to within 300 nm rms.     

Adiabatic following in standing-wave diffraction of atoms

We report experiments on the diffraction of atoms from a standing light wave in the channeling regime, characterized by long interaction time and large potential height. The observed far-field diffraction patterns depend specifically on the way in which the potential is switched on and off. For fast switching, the evolution is non-adiabatic and many diffraction orders are populated. For slow switching, however, the evolution is adiabatic and the number of populated diffraction orders decreases dramatically. The experiments are performed in two different setups employing rubidium and argon atoms, respectively. In one of the setups, we study the dependence of the diffraction pattern on the interaction time, in the other setup that on the incidence angle. Received: 30 November 1998 / Revised version: 5 July 1999 / Published online: 8 September 1999     

偏斜椭圆激光驻波场作用下中性原子沉积纳米光栅结构特性分析

分析了椭圆激光驻波场的偏斜对中性原子运动过程和沉积过程的影响,对不同偏斜角度椭圆激光驻波场作用下中性铬原子沉积纳米光栅结构的特性进行了仿真研究,由仿真结果可以看出,随着偏斜椭圆形激光束偏斜角的增加,对应于不同y平面,激光驻波场汇聚中性原子所形成纳米光栅条纹的对比度不断减小、半高宽不断增大.当椭圆长短轴之比为2:1条件下,椭圆激光驻波场的偏斜角为0°时,纳米光栅的条纹半高宽为3.2 nm,条纹对比度为36:1,而当偏斜角为15°时,激光驻波场中心位置处的沉积条纹的半高宽为6.5 nm,条纹对比度为24:1,而当椭圆激光驻波场偏斜角度达到30°时,沉积条纹的单峰结构将会产生分裂,形成了双峰结构,且随着偏斜角的增加,沉积条纹的分裂越严重,纳米光栅的沉积质量越差.对于其他长短轴比例条件下的激光场亦可根据比例关系获得相应的纳米光栅沉积特性. 关键词： 原子光刻 偏斜椭圆激光驻波场 纳米光栅     

Simulation of Chromium Atom Deposition Pattern in a Gaussain Laser Standing Wave with Different Laser Power

One-dimensional deposition of a neutral chromium atomic beam focused by a near-resonant Gaussian standing- laser field is discussed by using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta type algorithm. The deposition pattern of neutral chromium atoms in a laser standing wave with different laser power is discussed and the simulation result shows that the full width at half maximum （FWHM） of a nanometer stripe is 115nm and the contrast is 2.5：1 with laser power 3.93mW; the FWHM is 0.8nm and the contrast is 27：1 with laser power 16mW, the optimal laser power; but with laser power increasing to 50mW, the nanometer structure forms multi-crests and the quality worsens quickly with increasing laser power.     

中性钠原子在激光驻波场中的运动特性研究

基于半经典理论,分析了中性钠原子在激光驻波场中的受力特征,以此为基础分别对不同纵向运动速度和横向运动速度条件下中性钠原子的运动轨迹进行了仿真运算,得到了不同速度条件下中性钠原子的运动轨迹特征,基于累计算法进一步对不同速度条件下中性钠原子的沉积特性进行了仿真,当钠原子的纵向运动速度符合最可及速度(740 m/s)时,纳米沉积条纹的半高宽为2.78 nm,条纹对比度为38.5 ∶1,当纵向运动速度偏离最可及速度(350 m/s)时,纳米沉积条纹的半高宽为29.1 nm,其对比度下降为15 ∶1.而当中性钠原子 关键词： 原子光刻 激光驻波场 条纹半高宽 条纹对比度     

激光驻波场形成Cr原子沉积纳米光栅的初步实验研究

利用激光驻波场会聚原子沉积纳米结构的技术可以用来研制纳米结构长度传递标准.当激光驻波场的频率大于原子的共振频率时，原子由于受到偶极力的作用将被会聚到驻波的波节处.采用了一种新的技术方案减小了实验对大的激光功率的要求.利用激光驻波场会聚准直性较好的Cr原子，并使其沉积在硅基片上形成纳米光栅结构.经原子力显微镜测试表明纳米光栅的周期为215 nm. 关键词： 激光偶极力 纳米计量 原子沉积 蓝失谐     

Broadening of Cr nanostructures in laser-focused atomic deposition

This paper presents the experimental progress of laser-focused Cr atomic deposition and the experimental condition.The result is an accurate array of lines with a periodicity of 212.8±0.2 nm and mean full-width at half maximum as approximately 95 nm.Surface growth in laser-focused Cr atomic deposition is modeled and studied by kinetic Monte Carlo simulation including two events:the one is that atom trajectories in laser standing wave are simulated with the semiclassical equations of motion to obtain the deposition position;the other is that adatom diffuses by considering two major diffusion processes,namely,terrace diffusion and step-edge descending.Comparing with experimental results(Anderson W R,Bradley C C,McClelland J J and Celotta R J 1999 Phys.Rev.A 59 2476),it finds that the simulated trend of dependence on feature width is in agreement with the power of standing wave,the other two simulated trends are the same in the initial stage.These results demonstrate that some surface diffusion processes play important role in feature width broadening.Numerical result also shows that high incoming beam flux of atoms deposited redounds to decrease the distance between adatoms which can diffuse to minimize the feature width and enhance the contrast.     

Scattering of atoms and molecules by an electromagnetic field

The scattering of atoms and molecules by the force of stimulated light pressure appearing in a standing wave is considered. It is shown that short (10^-8s) light pulses of tunable lasers can deviate resonance atoms through an angle of about 5°. A high selectivity of scattering is retained in a standing wave even in conditions of great saturation. Therefore the considered effect can be used for the separation of isotopes.     

Observation of a degenerate Fermi gas confined by a standing electromagnetic wave

We have observed a gas of Fermi atoms confined in the antinodes of a standing electromagnetic wave. The standing wave is formed by two counter-propagating beams with the wavelength of 10.6 μm focused on the same spot. Each antinode confines a pancake-shaped cloud of 7500 lithium-6 atoms in two equally populated spin states at the temperature T = 0.1E _F, where E _F is the Fermi energy. The system is in the regime beyond the local density approximation: Only the 3 lowest energy states of the axial motion are populated. The system may become an instrument for the study of 2D Fermi physics and 3D effects beyond the local density approximation.     

Counting atoms in a deep optical microtrap

We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep, microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While scattering photons, the atoms are cooled by a Sisyphus mechanism that results from the spatial variation in light intensity. The use of a small blue detuning limits the losses due to light-assisted collisions, thereby making the method suitable for counting several atoms in a microscopic volume.     

Anomalous t-dependence in diffractive electroproduction of 2S radially excited light vector mesons at HERA

Within the color dipole gBFKL phenomenology of the diffraction slope we predict an anomalous t-dependence of the differential cross section as a function of energy and for the production of radially excited light vector mesons. The pattern we found for the t-dependence for is in contradiction with the well-known standard monotonical t-behavior for theV(1S) vector mesons. The origin of this phenomenon lies in the interplay of the nodal structure of the V'(2S) radial wave function and the energy and dipole size dependence of the color dipole cross section and the diffraction slope. We show how a different position of the node in the V'(2S) wave function leads to a different pattern of anomalous t-behavior of and discuss the possibility to determine this position from the low energy and HERA data. Received: 5 September 2000 / Revised version: 24 November 2000 / Published online: 23 January 2001     

原子束在光定波场中的聚焦研究

建立了描述原子束在光定波场中聚焦行为的理论模型并通过数值计算给出原子在光驻波场中的运动轨迹,针对不同情况模拟了原子在基底上沉积的堆积图形.     

The influence of divergence angle on the deposition of neutral chromium atoms using a laser standing wave

The characteristics of neutral chromium atoms in the standing wave field are discussed.Based on a semi-classical model,the motion equation of neutral atoms in the laser standing wave field is analyzed,and the trajectories of the atoms are obtained by simulations with the different divergence angles of the atomic beam.The simulation results show that the full width at half maximum(FWHM) of the stripe is 2.75 nm and the contrast is 38.5:1 when the divergence angle equals 0 mrad,the FWHM is 24.1 nm and the contrast is 6.8:1 when the divergence angle equals 0.2 mrad and the FWHMs are 58.6 and 137.8 nm,and the contrasts are 3.3:1 and 1.6:1 when the divergence angles equal 0.5 and 1.0 mrad,respectively.