3D-Printed Beam Splitter for Polar Neutral Molecules

In optical spectroscopy it is standard to split a beam of light, for sensitive reference measurements; not so for molecular beams, unfortunately. The authors fill this lacuna, combining 3D printing with electroplating to produce a $m{{0}{0ex}}a{{0}{0ex}}c{{0}{0ex}}r{{0}{0ex}}o{{0}{0ex}}s{{0}{0ex}}c{{0}{0ex}}o{{0}{0ex}}p{{0}{0ex}}i{{0}{0ex}}c$ beam splitter for polar neutral molecules, with clearly separated beams at high densities. This study offers not only an important piece of technology to change beam work, but also proof of principle for creating m00exe00ext00exa00exl00exl00exi00exc scientific apparatus with shapes that cannot be produced by traditional means---with high quality, at low cost.