A novel design for electric field deflectometry on extended molecular beams

We discuss the optimal shape of a beam deflector with applications in electric susceptibility measurements on wide molecular beams. In contrast to the well-established ¿two-wire¿ concept, which is optimized for beams with a small lateral extension, our design realizes a compact element that provides a high and homogeneous force field at moderate voltage for molecular beams with a large extension in the direction of deflection.