Atom lithography of Fe

Abstract

Direct write atom lithography is a technique in which nearly resonant light is used to pattern an atom beam. Nanostructures are formed when the patterned beam falls onto a substrate. We have applied this lithography scheme to a ferromagnetic element, using a 372nm laser light standing wave to pattern a beam of iron atoms. In this proof-of-principle experiment, we have deposited a grid of 50-nm-wide lines 186nm apart. These ultraregular, large-scale, ferromagnetic wire arrays may generate exciting new developments in the fields of spintronics and nanomagnetics.