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Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics

Steady-state light-induced forces in atomic nanolithography

A. V. Bezverbnyĭ, Прудников Олег Николаевич, A. V. Taǐchenachev, Anatolii M Tumaikin, Valeriy I. Yudin

Published Oct 1, 2005• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An analysis of general characteristics of light-induced forces is presented for arbitrary monochromatic masks in which optical pumping of atoms and spontaneous emission play an important role. Dependence of regions of localization on detuning and ellipticity is determined for cyclic transitions of two types: J å J with half-integer J and J å J + 1 with arbitrary J . Numerical simulations of atomic beam focusing with one-and two-dimensional light masks show that spatial atom distributions with narrow features and high contrast can be formed in dissipative masks. In particular, spherical aberration is substantially reduced when the pumping field is tuned to a J å J + 1 transition with large J in lin ∼ lin configuration as compared to nondissipative masks.

DOI
10.1134/1.2131927

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An analysis of general characteristics of light-induced forces is presented for arbitrary monochromatic masks in which optical pumping of atoms and spontaneous emission play an important role. Dependence of regions of localization on detuning and ellipticity is determined for cyclic transitions of two types: J å J with half-integer J and J å J + 1 with arbitrary J . Numerical simulations of atomic beam focusing with one-and two-dimensional light masks show that spatial atom distributions with narrow features and high contrast can be formed in dissipative masks. In particular, spherical aberration is substantially reduced when the pumping field is tuned to a J å J + 1 transition with large J in lin ∼ lin configuration as compared to nondissipative masks.
The light-induced force on an atom is calculated for an arbitrary field configuration, taking into account the spontaneous emission and optical pumping processes as well as the degeneracy of atomic energy levels. Two types of the optical transitions are analyzed: $J\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J$ with JJJ a half-integer and $J\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J+1$ with JJJ an arbitrary. Though the force is not potential in the general case, we introduce a scalar function $\ensuremath{\Psi}$, which plays a role of the potential energy, determining regions of localization of atoms. Applications of these results to atom nanolithography are discussed.
The light force on slow atoms in a light field with arbitrary polarization distribution is explicitly evaluated in the case of an atomic transition J yields J with half-integer J values. The expression of the force is based on an exact analytical expression for the steady-state density matrix of the atoms. The force is naturally separated in contributions resulting from gradients of the field intensity, the polarization ellipticity, and the phase. In addition to a conservative part this force also contains a vortex component. In areas of spatial localization, where the total force vanishes, the atomic motion is governed by a potential, which in general is not harmonic for J greater than 1/2. Simple model of the formation of a one- or two-dimensional spatial atomic grating in a specific light field configuration illustrates the results.
The localization of atoms in a deep optical potential is analyzed in the framework of the completely quantum description of the motion of the atoms using the kinetic equation for the density matrix. It is shown that the laser cooling of the neutral atoms in the deep optical potential at a relatively large detuning of the light field from resonance can be used as a method for forming spatially localized atomic structures with a high contrast for atomic lithography. This method is alternative to nondissipative light masks.
We studied the focusing of atoms by multiple layers of standing light waves in the context of atom lithography. In particular, atomic localization by a double-layer light mask is examined using the optimal squeezing approach. Operation of the focusing setup is analyzed both in the paraxial approximation and in the regime of nonlinear spatial squeezing for the thin-thin, as well as thin-thick, atom lens combinations. It is shown that the optimized double light mask may considerably reduce the imaging problems, improve the quality of focusing, and enhance the contrast ratio of the deposited structures.
Summary form only given.Using neutral atoms for lithography is a new method of generating nanostructures on a substrate. This method is based on light masks formed by interfering laser beams perpendicular to the atomic beam. One- and two-dimensional periodic structures have been fabricated by various groups using light masks with intensity gradients and uniform polarization. The resulting periods are half the laser wavelength or greater. Atoms with a magnetic substructure in the electronic ground state are strongly sensitive to light polarization and static magnetic fields. Our work presents a detailed investigation of possible two-dimensional light field configurations including polarization gradients and static magnetic fields. The resulting nanostructures obtained in an experimentally realistic situation are simulated.
Diffraction of atomic wave packets from a standing laser wave with a Gaussian profile is studied theoretically and numerically in pursuing the aim of creating high-resolution spatial structures in optical nanolithography. To this end, we propose to use nonadiabatic transitions between two optical potentials which take place when square of the value of detuning off the resonance is approximately equal to the Doppler shift. In this case, atomic wave packets experience splitting at nodes of the standing wave, which allows creating atomic structures on a substrate with a period substantially smaller than the standard nanofabrication limit equal to half the wavelength of light. We propose a scheme of the experiment for the observation of nonadiabatic transitions and splitting of the wave of matter caused by them. A number of computer simulations with parameters corresponding to real atoms have been performed, which exhibit this effect in both momentum and coordinate spaces.