Single-beam, ponderomotive-optical trap for free electrons and neutral atoms

Opt Lett. 1997 Jul 1;22(13):1021-3. doi: 10.1364/ol.22.001021.

Abstract

A ponderomotive-optical trap for energetic free electrons has been generated with a single, high-peak-power laser beam. The focal region consists of an intensity minimum at the center of the focus, with increasing intensities in all directions. The focus can be generated with a two-zone binary phase plate, or with a novel, coaxially segmented wave plate. This scheme can also be used to trap neutral atoms.