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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Production of a ‘natural’ metastable nozzle beam: Van der Waals–Zeeman atomic levels near a metal surface

J.‐C. Karam, Jules Grucker, M. Boustimi, Valerij Bočvarski, G. Vassilev, J. Reinhardt, Constantin Maïnos, F Perales, J. Baudon, Jacques Robert, M. Ducloy

Published Jan 1, 2005• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A method for obtaining a metastable atom beam with properties near to those of a ground state supersonic beam is demonstrated. Calculations on m sublevels of metastable argon near a metal surface are then presented.
DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/19/1/006

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The resonant metastability-exchange process is used to obtain a metastable atom beam with intrinsic properties close to those of a ground-state atom nozzle beam (small angular aperture, narrow velocity distribution). The estimated effective source diameter (15 µm) is small enough to provide at a distance of 597 mm a transverse coherence radius of about 873 nm for argon, 1236 nm for neon and 1660 nm for helium. It is demonstrated both by experiment and numerical calculations with He*, Ne* and Ar* metastable atoms, that this beam gives rise to diffraction effects on the transmitted angular pattern of a silicon-nitride nano-slit grating (period 100 nm). Observed patterns are in good agreement with previous measurements with He* and Ne* metastable atoms. For argon, a calculation taking into account the angular aperture of the beam (0.35 mrad) and the effect of the van der Waals interaction—the van der Waals constant C 3 = 1.83 +0.1 −0.15 au being derived from spectroscopic data—leads to a good agreement with experiment.
Metastable argon atoms Ar*(3P2), produced by electron bombardment of a nozzle beam of ground state Ar atoms, are slowed down from their initial thermal velocity of 560 m/s down to a few tens of m/s, using a standard Zeeman slower. In this decelerator, a repulsive force is induced by a counter-propagating σ+- polarized laser beam, locked in frequency on the3P2-3D3closed transition (λ= 811.5 nm) and then detuned by 340 MHz. A special profile of longitudinal magnetic field is adjusted in order to maintain atoms in resonance with light all over the device, by compensating the variable Doppler shift by the convenient Zeeman shift. Low velocities, e.g. 55 m/s, are accessible but due to spontaneous emission randomly distributed recoil momentums enlarge both angular and velocity distributions of the beam. Nevertheless, by placing off axis collimating slits and grating, it is in principle possible to observe transmission and/or diffraction phenomena specific of low velocities.
A metastable atomic beam source was developed utilizing pulsed helium and argon nozzle beams. A coaxial electron gun, which can be used in a pulsed as well as in a continuous mode, excites the noble gases to their metastable states by electron bombardment in the direction of propagation of the ground-state atoms. In contrast to former work, the electron beam is controlled and accelerated by a combination of three hemispherically shaped tungsten grids. With continuous electron gun operation the source produces a metastable flux of about 1015 atoms/sr s for helium and argon under optimum expansion conditions. Applying short electrical pulses to a control grid yields supersonic metastable atom pulses, with velocity distributions having a relative width as low as 3.8% for helium and 6.5% for argon ( FWHM ) with a 100% modulation of the metastable beams. These features make the source applicable for velocity analyzed scattering experiments using the time-of-flight technique.
Dans la première partie de cette thèse, nous développons l étude expérimentale et théorique d un type d interactions à très courte portée (moins de 10nm), dites de van der Waals-Zeeman, entre un atome de gaz rare et une surface métallique. Il s agit d utiliser d une part un jet supersonique d atomes métastables pour diverse espèces (Ne*, Ar*, Kr*) et, d autre part, un jet d argon métastable Ar*(3P2) décéléré par un ralentisseur Zeeman standard. Dans le premier cas, on observe un accroissement de la portée de l interaction de van der Waals-Zeeman en fonction de l augmentation de la constante d anisotropie . Dans le second cas, l augmentation de la portée est observée lors d une diminution de la vitesse d un atome d argon métastable de 560 à 170m/s. La combinaison de ces méthodes nous a permis de mesurer la portée de l interaction (dont l efficacité est de quelques 10-4) avec une résolution spatiale de 2 à 3nm. Dans la seconde partie de ce travail, nous introduisons la thématique nouvelle des milieux d indice négatif pour l optique atomique. Ces milieux consistent en des potentiels dits comobiles agissant dans le vide. Deux effets majeurs de ces milieux d indice négatif sont démontrés: la réfraction négative pour des ondes de matière et le rétrécissement du paquet d onde atomique. Enfin, nous montrons que l application de milieux d indice négatif aux ondes évanescentes de matière (créées à l aide d une barrière de potentiel magnétique statique) permet de les localiser sur une épaisseur de quelques micromètres de part et d autre du bord de la barrière de potentiel.