Abstract

In the field of atom optics, researchers are attempting to realize the same optical elements for atomic beams as is common in the conventional optics. Many laboratories around the world have made beautiful demonstrations of devices such as mirrors, lenses, diffraction gratings, wave guides, resonators and interferometers for atoms. The applications of these new techniques range from new experiments probing the wave nature of matter to the possibility of writing nanostructures on surfaces. This tutorial will give a general overview of the field as it now stands.

© 1998 IEEE