Imaging and focusing of atoms by a fresnel zone plate

Focusing of and imaging with atoms by means of a spherical Fresnel zone plate has been observed for the first time. An intense beam of metastable helium atoms with atomic de Broglie wavelength λdB=0.5--2.5 {} is passed through either a single or a double slip with dimensions in the 10-{μ}m range. This transverse intensity distribution is imaged by a Fresnel zone plate, 210 {μ}m in diameter and with an innermost zone diameter of 18.76 {μ}m. For λdB=1.96 {} the focal length is 0.45 m. The imaging properties of the zone plate are presented and compared with numerical calculations.