Abstract

Laser cooling methods provide the possibility to obtain very well collimated and slow atomic beams[1]. These intense sources have attracted new interest in the manipulation of atomic trajectories. Atom optical schemes based on the optical dipole force are very attractive, for example in atom lithography where atomic beams are focused by standing wave light fields, to create periodic nanostructures. However, in applications where more complex structures are desirable or decoherence due to spontaneous emission has to be avoided, magnetic atom optical components are more attractive

© 2000 IEEE