Abstract

The focusing of atoms carrying a magnetic dipole moment by magnetic hexapole lenses was demonstrated in the early 1950’s.¹ The application of such lenses with focal length f ~ v⁻² (atomic velocity v) for imaging was never attempted, however, because of the large velocity spread of thermal atomic beams. With laser-cooling techniques it is now possible to prepare atomic beams at low velocities with a narrow velocity distribution. With NdFeB permanent magnets very strong hexapole fields (d²B/dr² = 2.5 T/cm²) can be created for reasonable apertures of the order of 1 cm.² Hence, in combination with a slow atomic beam, focal lengths in the centimeter domain are readily obtained and can be used for imaging purposes.

© 1995 Optical Society of America