EXPERIMENTS IN ATOM OPTICS

This article outlines experiments which have highlighted the rapid dev elopment of the field of atom optics since the mid 1980s. The distingu ishing features of the components used in atom optics are compared wit h their conceptual analogues in light optics. The potential for atom o ptic devices, both demonstrated and predicted, are described. Experime nts and applications of this new technology are reviewed, and the arti cle concludes with a synopsis of work in this field currently being un dertaken in Australasia.