  We propose two robust schemes to generate controllable (deterministic) atomic
W-states of three three-level atoms interacting with an optical cavity and a
laser beam. Losses due to atomic spontaneous emissions and to cavity decay are
efficiently suppressed by employing adiabatic passage technique and
appropriately designed atom-field couplings. In these schemes the three atoms
traverse the cavity-mode and the laser beam and become entangled in the free
space outside the cavity.
