Light source technology: Atom optics and atom lithography

Abstract

High-resolution atomic channeling using velocity-selected atoms may be able to overcome precision limitations of the conventional atom lithography. There has been experimentally clarified the dependence of line width and contrast of atomic patterns in the channeling region on the velocity spread of the atomic source for the first time. Thermal or velocity-selected atomic beams prepared with a one-dimensional magneto-optical trap were employed as the atomic sources. It can be shown that narrower line width and higher contrast atomic patterns are obtained as the velocity spread becomes narrower. Also successfully produced are periodic ytterbium (Yb) narrow lines on a substrate using a near-resonant laser light and the direct-write atom lithography technique. Clearly observed is a grating pattern of Yb atoms fabricated on a substrate with a line separation of approximately 200 nm after examining the surtface of the substrate with an atomic force microscopy. This is the first demonstration of nanofabrication using the atom-optical approach with Yb atoms.