Atom optics

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Atom optics (or atomic optics) is the area of physics which deals with beams of cold, slowly moving neutral atoms, as a special case of a particle beam [1].

Like an optical beam, the atomic beam may exhibit diffraction and interference, and can be reflected or focused with an atomic mirror or atomic hologram. [2] Many scientific groups work in this field. [3], [4]

Until 2006, the resolution of imaging systems based on atomic beams was not better than that of an optical microscope, mainly due to the poor performance of the focusing elements. Such elements use small numerical aperture. However, Recent scientific publications about evanescent field lenses [5] and ridged mirrors ([6]) show significant improvement since the beginning of the century and express optimistic forecasts.