Scientists have created 3D printed surfaces featuring intricate textures that can be used to bounce unwanted gas particles away from quantum sensors, allowing useful particles like atoms to be delivered more efficiently, which could help improve measurement accuracy.

The researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics and Astronomy created intricate, fine-scale surface textures that preferentially bounce incident particles in particular directions. This can help to keep unwanted particles out of the way. The team demonstrated this by applying it to a surface-based vacuum pump and tripled the rate at which it removed nuisance gas particles.

The study, “Exploiting complex 3D-printed surface structures for portable quantum technologies,” is published in the journal Physical Review Applied.