Taming molecular beams; towards a gas-phase molecular laboratory on a chip

The manipulation of gas-phase molecules with electric and magnetic fields above a chip is an emerging field of research. Miniaturization of the electric and magnetic field structures allows for the creation of large field gradients and tight traps above the chip. Present-day microelectronics technology enables the integration of complicated tools and devices on a compact surface area. The molecules can be positioned extremely accurately and reproducibly above the chip where they can be held isolated from their environment and where there is excellent access to them. It is expected that several of the gas-phase molecular beam experiments that are currently being done in machines that are up to several meters in length can in the future be performed on a surface area of a few cm 2 and that many new experiments will become possible.