DOI: 10.1051/jp2:1994244
J. Phys. II France 4 (1994) 1981-1997

Laser near rield lens for atoms

V. I. Balykin¹, V. V. Klimov² and V. S. Letokhov<sup>1, 3

1</sup>  Institute of Spectroscopy, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142092 Troitsk, Moscow Region, Russia
²  P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117294 Moscow, Russia
³  Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Université Paris-Nord, Av. J. B. Clement, 93430 Villetaneuse, France

(Received 28 April 1994, revised 15 September 1994, accepted 20 September 1994)

Abstract
We suggest and examine an atom optics focusing element based on the near field arising in the diffraction of laser radiation by an aperture of small size (less than an optical wavelength) in a thin conducting screen. The quasi-resonant interaction potential of the atom and the near field is found to be close to the potential of the ideal lens. Within the quasi-classical dynamics of atoms we consider the role of chromatic, spherical aberration. Taking the diffraction aberrations into account we find that it is possible to focus atoms into spot with radius 4-7 nm.

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