  We propose the Subwavelength Localization via Adiabatic Passage (SLAP)
technique to coherently achieve state-selective patterning of matter waves well
beyond the diffraction limit. The SLAP technique consists in coupling two
partially overlapping and spatially structured laser fields to three internal
levels of the matter wave yielding state-selective localization at those
positions where the adiabatic passage process does not occur. We show that by
means of this technique matter wave localization down to the single nanometer
scale can be achieved. We analyze in detail the potential implementation of the
SLAP technique for nano-lithography with an atomic beam of metastable Ne* and
for coherent patterning of a two-component 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate.
