Laser-focused nanofabrication: Beating of two atomic resonances.

We deposit a laser-collimated chromium beam onto a substrate through a laser standing-wave (SW) tuned above the atomic resonance at either of the two [sup 52]Cr transitions [sup 7]S[sub 3]→[sup 7]P[sup o,sub 3] at 427.600 nm or [sup 7]S[sub 3]→[sup 7]P[sup o,sub 4] at 425.553 nm. In both of these cases, the resulting pattern on the surface consists of nanolines with a period of that of the SW. We extend the range of periods accessible to laser-focused atom deposition by superimposing the structures grown at both these resonances. The resulting beating pattern exhibits a period of 44.46±0.04 µm as determined with a polarizing optical microscope. This structure provides a link between nanoscopic and macroscopic worlds and could potentially become a calibration standard for length metrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]