Browsing by Author "Sleator, Tycho"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Atom interferometry with mechanical structures
    (1992) Sleator, Tycho; Carnal, Olivier; Pfau, Tilman; Faulstich, Andreas; Takuma, Hiroshi; Mlynek, Jürgen
    We present results on an interferometer for atoms based on Young's double-slit experiment. We also discuss proposed experiments in which the effect of spontaneous emission on the visibility of the atomic fringe pattern, as well as the effect of coherent atom-light interactions on the phase of the atomic wavefunction could be measured.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Imaging and focusing of an atomic beam with a large period standing light wave
    (1992) Sleator, Tycho; Pfau, Tilman; Balykin, Victor; Mlynek, Jürgen
    A novel atomic lens scheme is reported. A cylindrical lens potential was created by a large period ( 45 μm) standing light wave perpendicular to a beam of metastable He atoms. The lens aperture (25 μm) was centered in one antinode of the standing wave; the laser frequency was nearly resonant with the atomic transition 2 3 S 1 – 2 3 P 2 (lambda=1.083 μm) and the interaction time was significantly shorter than the spontaneous lifetime (100 ns) of the excited state. The thickness of the lens was given by the laser beam waist (40μm) in the direction of the atomic beam. Preliminary results are presented, where an atomic beam is focused down to a spot size of 4μm. Also, a microfabricated grating with a period of 8m was imaged. We discuss the principle limitations of the spatial resolution of the lens given by spherical and chromatic aberrations as well as by diffraction. The fact that this lens is very thin offers new perspectives for deep focusing into the nm range.