Magnetic nanodots from atomic Fe: Can it be done?

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 ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2002-04, Vol.99 (Suppl 2), p.6509-6513
Main Authors: te Sligte, E, Bosch, R C M, Smeets, B, van der Straten, P, Beijerinck, H C W, van Leeuwen, K A H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atoms & subatomic particles
Iron
Magnetism
Nanotechnology
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Summary: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 × 10 15 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 5 D 4 → 5 F 5 atomic transition of 56 Fe 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.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.072525199