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Physical Review A

Focusing of atomic beams by near-field atom microlenses: The Bethe-type and the Fresnel-type microlenses

V. I. Balykin, Vladimir G. Minogin

Published Jan 2, 2008• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We analyze focusing of atomic beams by the atom near-field microlenses produced by the laser fields diffracted on the apertures in the metallic screens. Analysis of the focusing properties of the atom microlenses is given in a model describing dipole interaction of atoms with a far-off-resonance laser light. Two types of the atom microlenses are considered: The Bethe-type microlens with aperture less than the light wavelength and the Fresnel-type microlens with aperture about the wavelength. It is shown that both types of the atom microlenses are able to produce strong dipole gradient forces which can focus the atomic beams. However, while the Bethe-atom microlens is able to produce sharp focusing of the beams the Fresnel-atom microlens possesses weak focusing property due to high anharmonicity of the gradient force. We conclude that the Bethe-atom microlens can be considered as a promising tool of the atom optics potentially able to focus atomic beams into spot sizes about nanometers.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.77.013601

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CRC Press eBooks•Apr 23, 2020•0 citations
We analyze focusing of atomic beams by the atom near-field microlenses produced by the laser fields diffracted on the apertures in the metallic screens. Analysis of the focusing properties of the atom microlenses is given in a model describing dipole interaction of atoms with a far-off-resonance laser light. Two types of the atom microlenses are considered: The Bethe-type microlens with aperture less than the light wavelength and the Fresnel-type microlens with aperture about the wavelength. It is shown that both types of the atom microlenses are able to produce strong dipole gradient forces which can focus the atomic beams. However, while the Bethe-atom microlens is able to produce sharp focusing of the beams the Fresnel-atom microlens possesses weak focusing property due to high anharmonicity of the gradient force. We conclude that the Bethe-atom microlens can be considered as a promising tool of the atom optics potentially able to focus atomic beams into spot sizes about nanometers.
Atomic beam focusing by an atomic microlens formed by the optical field diffracted from a circular aperture in a metallic screen is considered for an aperture diameter smaller than the wavelength of the field. Analytic expressions are derived for the dipole gradient force acting on an atom in the field of diffracted radiation. It is shown that the action of the gradient force makes it possible to focus the atomic beam into a spot with a diameter on the order of a few nanometers. Numerical estimates are obtained for the focusing properties of the atomic microlens in the model describing the dipole interaction of Rb atoms with laser radiation in the vicinity of the D line.
This paper examines the focusing of an atomic beam by the near field of laser radiation diffracted by a small aperture. The wave properties of the atom are taken into consideration within the framework of an approximate Schrödinger equation. The possibility is demonstrated of focusing an atomic beam into a spot some 3 nm across, the atomic and laser beam characteristics being quite acceptable. The main contribution to the spot size is shown to be from spherical aberrations and diffraction effects, the chromatic aberrations of the atomic beam with a 5% velocity distribution broadening having a lesser effect.
We suggest and examine an atom optics focusing element based on the near field arising in the diffraction of laser radiation by an aperture of small size (less than an optical wavelength) in a thin conducting screen. The quasi-resonant interaction potential of the atom and the near field is found to be close to the potential of the ideal lens. Within the quasi-classical dynamics of atoms we consider the role of chromatic, spherical aberration. Taking the diffraction aberrations into account we find that it is possible to focus atoms into spot with radius 4-7 nm.
We propose and present a quantitative analysis of neutral atom microtraps based on optical near fields produced by the diffraction of a laser wave on small apertures in a thin screen. We show that near-field atom microtraps are capable of storing atoms in micron-sized regions, with estimated trap lifetimes of about 1s1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}1s, when using a moderate laser intensity of about 10W∕cm210\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{W}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}10W∕cm2. The depth of the proposed Fresnel atom microtraps is about 0.1mK0.1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}0.1mK. An array of such atom microtraps could have applications to site-selective manipulation of cold atoms.
The principal element in any sort of optics is a lens. It is essential to create laser field configurations capable of focusing neutral atomic beams. There are two possibilities for focusing an atomic beam by laser light: by using the gradient force or by using the light pressure force. The force effecting the focusing of an atom in a beam should be proportional to the atomic displacement. This criterion must be satisfied for the force to produce the true “image”: if this criteria is not met, the image is blurred, i.e. there are aberrations. An approach to treat the focusing of atomic beam by laser light is to use the path integral technique to calculate the evolution of atomic wave function as it propagates in laser field. A particle-optical approach also can be used for treatment of focusing of atoms by laser light. The quadratic radial dependence of the potential is a necessary condition for focusing of atoms.