High-Flux Monochromatic Electron and Ion Beams from Laser Cooled Atoms

Sources of inherently cold electrons and ions have undergone rapid development in the past few years. These sources are based upon near-threshold ionization of laser cooled atoms, and show great promise for the creation of high-brightness ion beams, in particular, for use in focused ion beam systems [1, 2], as well as the creation of electron bunches suitable for ultrafast electron diffraction experiments on biological samples [3, 4]. An aspect of the source which has yet to be exploited is the ability to produce highly monochromatic, low energy (less than 10 eV) electron beams, which are vital in studies of nanofunctionalization of surface compounds [5].