from the matter-waves-for-nanofab dept.
Michael Mehrle writes "Found this on Slashdot: Nonlinear Atom Optics uses laser light to cool atoms to one millionth a degree Kelvin…. Atom lasers could lead to advances in, among other things, Nanolithography and Holography. Cool. Literally."This was earlier noted on Memepool on Thursday February 15. The University of Arizona press release Atom Optics Technologies Could Be Phenomenal quotes Pierre Meystre saying "More practical atom lasers could lead to applications in precision nanofabrication, atom holography, and "undreamed of applications that will come as surprises."
Read more for more quotes from the press release.
"We have this vision for atom optics, which is integrated atom optics — atom optics on a chip," he said. "One problem with current atom optics experiments is that they are really quite big. They take up a couple of tables in the laboratory. The big push is to do atom optics on the cheap, as electronics is done on the cheap," by guiding atoms with magnetic and electrical fields in something the size of an electronic chip.
Atom holography is another stunning idea. Instead of making an image in light as done in conventional holography, atom optics would make the hologram of atoms. "What this means is, we could make a real, 3-dimensional replica of some object. We could copy objects." Meystre said.
"All of the individual steps to do this with nonlinear atom optics have been demonstrated. It's just a matter of making it work all together. I think it will happen in the next two or three years."
