Quasiperiodic structures via atom-optical nanofabrication

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We deposit a laser-collimated chromium beam onto a substrate through a quasiperiodic laser standing-wave (SW) tuned above the atomic resonance at the Cr-52 transition S-7(3)-->P-7(4)o at 425.55 nm. This SW is created by interference of five laser beams crossing in one point at mutual angles of 72degrees. The resulting chromium pattern on the substrate surface mimics the geometry of the SW and it is thus itself quasiperiodic. On a surface area of 0.2x0.2 mm(2) the spatial Fourier spectrum of the measured patterns is decagonal. Besides being of fundamental interest, this quasiperiodic nanofabrication via atom optics can find its applications in photonics.