Abstract

A bent-crystal mirror has been used to focus an atomic-helium beam. The mirror is made from gold deposited onto a mica substrate to form a thin epitaxial film (5000 Å thick) of large single-crystal domains (domain size ~ 4000 Å). The mica sheet is then bent in situ to form a cylindrical mirror of variable radius of curvature. Measurement of scattered beam intensity and angular distribution as a function of curvature demonstrates focusing to within the mosaic spread of the surface. The reflectivity of the room temperature mirror is about 10%. Potential uses are discussed, ranging from immediate applications in intensity and resolution enhancement of helium-scattering experiments to such long-term possibilities as hypercooling of the beam or fabrication of a scanning atom microscope.

© 1990 Optical Society of America