Experiments in atom optics

Abstract

This article outlines experiments which have highlighted the rapid development of the field of atom optics since the mid 1980s. The distinguishing features of the components used in atom optics are compared with their conceptual analogues in light optics. The potential for atom optic devices, both demonstrated and predicted, are described. Experiments and applications of this new technology are reviewed, and the article concludes with a synopsis of work in this field currently being undertaken in Australasia.