graduate

"Magneto-Optical Control of Atomic Motion"

TYPESpecial 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.