Magnetic nanodots from atomic Fe: Can it be done?

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

The National Academy of Sciences

RESUMO

Laser focusing of Fe atoms offers the possibility of creating separate magnetic structures on a scale of 10 nm with exact periodicity. This can be done by using the parabolic minima of the potential generated by a standing light wave as focusing lenses. To achieve the desired 10-nm resolution, we need to suppress chromatic and spherical aberrations, as well as prevent structure broadening caused by the divergence of the incoming beam. Chromatic aberrations are suppressed by the development of a supersonic Fe beam source with speed ratio S = 11 ± 1. This beam has an intensity of 3 × 1015 atoms sr−1 s−1. The spherical aberrations of the standing light wave will be suppressed by aperturing with beam masks containing 100-nm slits at 744-nm intervals. The beam divergence can be reduced by application of laser cooling to reduce the transverse velocity. We have constructed a laser system capable of delivering over 500 mW of laser light at 372 nm, the wavelength of the 5D4 → 5F5 atomic transition of 56Fe we intend to use for laser cooling. Application of polarization spectroscopy to a hollow cathode discharge results in a locking system holding the laser continuously within 2 MHz of the desired frequency.

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