Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Fei Comapny

Brenton J Knuffman

Jabez J McClelland

Adam V Steele

Jonathan H Orloff

A method for aligning the axis of an atom beam with the orientation of an electric field at a particular location within an enclosure for use in creating a charged particle source by photoionizing a cold atom beam. The method includes providing an atom beam in the enclosure, providing a plurality of electrically conductive devices in said enclosure, evacuating the enclosure to a pressure below about 10millibar, and aligning the axis of the atom beam with the orientation of the electric field, relative to each other, within less than about two degrees. Alignment may be facilitated by applying at least one voltage to the electrically conductive devices, mechanically tilting the atom beam's axis orientation of the electric field relative to each other and/or causing a deflection of the atom beam.

Alignment of an atom beam with an electric field in the production of a charged particle source

A system for producing a charged particle beam from a photoionized cold atom beam. A vapor of neutral atoms is generated. From these atoms, an atom beam having axial and transverse velocity distributions controlled by the application of laser light is produced. The produced atom beam is spatially compressed along each transverse axis, thus reducing the cross-sectional area of the produced beam and reducing a velocity spread of the produced beam along directions transverse to the beam's direction of propagation. Laser light is directed onto at least a portion of the neutral atoms in the atom beam, thereby producing ions and electrons. An electric field is generated at the location of the produced ions and electrons, thereby producing a beam of ions traveling in a first direction and electrons traveling in substantially the opposite direction. A vacuum chamber contains the atom beam, the ion beam and the electron beam.

Charged particle source from a photoionized cold atom beam

An integrated optical element and Faraday cup that can measure charged particle beam currents, manipulate light and analyze charged particle beam energy distribution. One boundary of the cup is formed by a lens or other suitable optical element which can be used for manipulating light along the axis of the Faraday cup. The surface of the optical element interior to the cup is coated with a transparent conductor in order to establish the simultaneous functions of taking charged particle beam current measurements, taking energy distribution measurements and manipulating light for such applications as focusing or imaging. A suppressor/blanker/retarder electrode is designed to eliminate spurious current signals that can result from production of secondary electrons by the charged particle beam impinging on the electrode surface.

Integrated optical element and Faraday cup

An ion beam system uses a separate accelerating electrode, such as a resistive tube, to accelerate the ions while maintaining a low electric field at an extended, that is, distributed ion source, thereby improving resolution. A magneto-optical trap can be used as the ion source.

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Montgomery Village, MD, United States of America

Brenton J Knuffman