One-, two-and three-dimensional nanostructures with atom lithography

Abstract

Lithography is a key technology enabling progress both in fundamental research and in widespread applications. Besides standard technologies new alternative approaches have emerged over the last few years. Here we summarize the status of the field of atom lithography where light is used to focus matter on the nanometre scale. Using the special features of the atom-light interaction a variety of structures can be produced with a spatial period limited to half the wavelength of the light. Further reduction of feature separation can be obtained utilizing the substructure of atomic matter and light polarization. Also we show how, besides various lateral structures, three-dimensional patterns can be generated in a single-step process utilizing the selectivity of the atom-light interaction.

Ground state of low-dimensional dipolar gases: Linear and zigzag chains

“…Such patterns are characterized by non-local correlations, which arise from zero-point fluctuations, and which may be important resources for the realization of quantum simulators [1,23]. Moreover, the control of atomic patterns has potential applications for nanostructuring processes [26].…”

Atom lithography with near-resonant standing waves

“…One of the interesting applications is the laser focusing of atoms, which is useful to the technologically important problem of atom lithography. The principle of atom lithography is based on using a standing wave (SW) of light as a mask on atoms to concentrate the atomic flux periodically and create desired patterns at the nanometer scale (for recent reviews see, [1,2]). Since the first experimental demonstration of submicron atomic structures [3], the subject has seen a considerable growth both theoretically [4][5][6][7][8] and experimentally [9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Quantum atomic lithography via cross-cavity optical Stern–Gerlach setup

“…Although the cross-cavity OSG has not yet been implemented experimentally, the cross-cavity setup has been built to test Lorentz invariance at the 10 −17 level [10]. In addition to the developments in probing atomic and cavity-field states, atomic lithography-where classical light is used to focus matter on the nanometer scale-has also witnessed considerable progress in recent decades [11][12][13]. The atom-light interaction is manipulated to assemble a structured array of atoms with potential applications to nanotechnology-related fields.…”

“…The atom-light interaction is manipulated to assemble a structured array of atoms with potential applications to nanotechnology-related fields. Beyond the achievements in the growth of spatially periodic and quasi-periodic [14] atomic patterns [11][12][13], recent works have explored the possibility of creating nonperiodic arrays by using complex optical fields [15][16][17].…”