We build amplitude, i.e., absorptive masks, for neutral atoms using light, reversing the roles of light and atoms as compared to conventional optics. These masks can be used both to create and to probe spatially well-defined atomic distributions. The resolution of these masks can be significantly better than the optical wavelength. Applications range from atom lithography to fundamental atom optical experiments.

• Received 23 June 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.56.R4365