Robust creation of atomic W state in a cavity by adiabatic passage

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.