Controlled Momentum Exchange Between Light and Helium Atoms

The short term goal of this project is to explore and exploit optical forces on atoms, particularly metastable helium atoms, that derive from improved control of the momentum exchange between the atoms and the light field. This improved control arises from carefully orchestrated, rapid, coherent sequences of absorptions followed by stimulated emissions using non-chromatic light. The longer term plans are for applications of the extremely cold and dense sample of helium that can be produced with these large forces. High on the list of possibilities under consideration is exploitation of the high internal energy for nanofabrication by lithography using self-assembling monolayers to pattern a resist.