Pulsed atomic beam apparatus

Claim 1

A pulsed atomic beam generating apparatus comprising in combination: means for forming a pulsed laser beam, alignment means for receiving said pulsed laser beam, said alignment means controlling the optical alignment of said pulsed laser beam, and beam forming means receiving said pulsed laser beam, said beam forming means being responsive to said laser beam, said beam forming means forming a collimated atomic beam, said beam forming means comprises in combination: an enclosure having a window at one end thereof, said window being transparent to said pulsed laser beam, said enclosure having a target, a vacuum chamber and a collimating aperture positioned therein, said target being optically aligned with said window to receive said pulsed laser beam, said vacuum chamber encompassing the area of said target where said laser beam impinges, and a collimating aperture connected to said vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber having atomic particles therein, said collimating aperture forming said atomic particles into a pulsed atomic beam, said target comprises a transparent substrate with a thin film deposited thereon, said transparent substrate being optically aligned with said window and said pulsed laser beam, said thin film being encompassed by said vacuum chamber, said pulsed laser beam vaporizing said thin film to form a vaporized cloud in said vacuum chamber, said vaporized cloud containing atomic particles.