Abstract

Slowed atomic beams are usually made to allow the complete trapping, e.g. in a magneto optical trap, for further experiments requiring small velocities. Another approach is possible taking advantage of the transverse coherence of a standard supersonic atomic beam and a large longitudinal coherence length due to slow velocities, i.e. the atomic "de Broglie" wavelength gets into the nanometre range. Such a slowed atomic beam fills then the gap between the extremely well velocity – defined supersonic beam and the large atomic wavelength of the "cold atoms". It is, however, surprisingly the first time to our knowledge that such beam will be used as an atomic source. A usual Zeeman slower configuration (i.e. a contra propagating resonant laser beam added to an appropriate magnetic field profile that compensates the Doppler effect) allows us to change the speed of the atoms from 560m/s to less than 10m/s [1]. Such an unusual atomic source is presently under study and will be used for atom - surface experiments, typically in the nanometres range.

© 2009 IEEE