"Magneto-Optical Control of Atomic Motion" |
| TYPE | Special Seminar - Solid State Institute, Technion |
| Speaker: | Professor Mark G. Raizen |
| Affiliation: | Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Dept. of Physics,The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A. |
| Date: | 20.11.2013 |
| Time: | 13:30 |
| Location: | Solid State Auditorium(Entrance) |
| Remark: | Host: Distinguished Professor Moti Segev (Attention to the unusual time of the talk!) |
| Abstract: | We are developing new approaches to the control of atomic motion. These methods provide an attractive alternative to Laser Cooling, and have important applications in nanoscale lithography, and isotope separation. The starting point is the supersonic molecular beam, an ultra-bright source of atoms. We use pulsed magnetic fields to stop the beam, and this approach is now proven to be optimum using an adiabatic slower. However, magnetic control alone is conservative, and a new and general cooling method is needed to bridge the gap from cold to ultra-cold. In response to this challenge, we developed a new method, single photon cooling. This approach is based on a one-way wall for atoms, and is a direct realization of the historic thought experiment of Maxwell's Demon, proposed by James Clerk Maxwell in 1871. I describe how this toolbox of new methods can be used as an alternative to Laser Cooling, with much better predicted performance. In parallel, we have developed a pulsed magnetic lens in order to image atoms to the few-nm level. This lens is characterized by a short focal length, and is aberration corrected to produce diffraction-limited spots. We predict that by combining the ultra-bright atomic source with the pulsed magnetic lens, A-beam lithography has the potential to far exceed E-beam lithography in terms of resolution and throughput. This work will bridge between Atomic Physics and Condensed Matter/Material Science. In another application of these general methods, we have developed and demonstrated in the laboratory an efficient method for isotope separation. This will replace the Calutron, a machine developed over eighty years ago, and now on the verge of becoming obsolete. The production of mole-scale quantities of rare isotopes is urgently needed in nuclear medicine, for cancer therapy and medical imaging. It will also have an impact on basic research, national security, and energy efficiency. |