Berlin 2005 – scientific programme

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MO: Molekülphysik

MO 22: Poster I

MO 22.5: Poster

Saturday, March 5, 2005, 10:30–12:30, Poster HU

Down-scaling of molecule-optical elements by means of microstructure arrays — •Stephan Schulz, Hendrick Bethlem, Horst Conrad, and Gerard Meijer — Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin

As previously shown, dipolar molecules can be manipulated by inhomogeneous electric fields making use of the Stark interaction. It has been demonstrated that fast switching of fields in the order of 100 kV/cm allows deceleration, focusing, and trapping of a variety of molecules with a static dipole moment. The electrode structures used have spatial extensions in the range mm to cm. As the applicable forces depend only on the electric field strength, a down-scaling to µm distances provide a reduction of the necessary voltages from ∼10 kV to some 100 V. Moreover, as µm scale electrode arrays on substrates are easily achievable within the state-of-the-art techniques, it is very attractive to do molecule-optics with a chip size device. We have recently demonstrated [1] that slow ND₃ molecules are reflected from a 2x2 mm² planar array of line electrodes separated by 20 µm loaded with alternating voltages (∼300 V), such acting as an electrostatic mirror for polar molecules. In extending the down-scaling approach to more complicated structures, we will present a model calculation of the field geometry and molecule trajectories for an on-chip decelerator discussing possible spatial configurations.

[1] Stephan Schulz et al., 2004, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 020406.