An experimental investigation of mode-2 (’lump-Like’) Solitary waves propagaling on a thin interface between two deep layers of different densities is presented. Small-and large-amplitude waves behaved differently: small waves carried energy and momentum, whereas sufficiently large waves also carried mass. Weakly nonlinear theory anticipated the result for amplitudes a/h [les ] 0.5 but did not provide even a qualitative description of the large-amplitude waves. In particular, the prediction that for waves to maintain permanent form their wavelength must decrease with increasing amplitude failed; instead the wavelength of large waves was observed to increase with increasing amplitude. Furthermore, whilst the waves were expected to emerge from interactions along their precollision trajectories, the large waves actually suffered a backward shift.

The evolving field of nanofabrication demands that more precise fabrication and evaluation tools be developed. We describe a method for creating a high quality focused ion beam with enhanced capabilities using an ion source based on laser-cooled neutral atoms in a magneto-optical trap. This technique will improve resolution and brightness beyond the current state of the art, can be used with the full range of atomic species that can be laser cooled and trapped, and will allow unprecedented control over the ion emission, allowing, for example, the production of single ions "on demand." We give estimates for the emittance and present a realistic ray tracing analysis of a basic focusing system demonstrating the feasibility of focusing the beam to a spot size of less than 10 nm.

We discuss laser cooling opportunities in atomic erbium, identifying five J ? J + 1 transitions from the 4f126s2 3H6 ground state that are accessible to common visible and near-infrared continuous-wave tunable lasers. We present lifetime measurements for the 4f11(4Io 15/2)5d5/26s2 (15/2, 5/2)7o state at 11888 cm-1 and the 4f11(4Io 13/2)5d3/26s2 (13/2, 5/2)7o state at 15847 cm-1, showing values of 20 +/- 4 micros and 5.6 +/- 1.4 micros, respectively. We also present a calculated value of 13 +/- 7 s-1 for the transition rate from the 4f11(4Io 15/2)5d3/26s2 (15/2, 3/2)7 o state at 7697 cm-1 to the ground state, based on scaled Hartree-Fock energy parameters. Laser cooling on these transitions in combination with a strong, fast (5.8 ns) laser cooling transition at 401 nm, suggest new opportunities for narrowband laser cooling of a large-magnetic moment atom, with possible applications in quantum information processing, high-precision atomic clocks, quantum degenerate gases, and deterministic single-atom doping of materials.

The formation and decay of the two lowest-lying, triply excited resonances in the autoionizing region of the helium spectrum (57-60 eV) have been studied by measuring electron-impact excitation functions for the n = 2 singly excited states of helium as a function of electron scattering angle. These results offer unambiguous confirmation of the classification of these states as and , respectively. Furthermore, the observation of the relative strengths of the decay of these features into the various final states enables some speculation as to the structure of the three excited electrons.

Transient negative ions (resonances) formed during the collision of an electron with an atom or molecule have been extensively studied for over thirty years. The continued interest in these states, both experimentally and theoretically, stems from the profound effects that they can have on electron scattering cross sections and the role that electron–electron correlations play in their formation and quasi-stability. A selective discussion of examples of such resonances, involving one, two and three excited electrons is given for a wide range of atomic and molecular systems.