https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00016-x
Diffraction of fast metastable atoms by micrometric reflection gratings
1
Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers (UMR-CNRS 7538), Université Paris-13, Avenue J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
2
Institute of Physics-Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade-Zemun, Serbia
3
CNRS, Laboratoire PMTM (UPR 9001), Université Paris-13, Avenue J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
Corresponding author: a grucker@galilee.univ-paris13.fr
Received:
8
August
2006
Revised:
4
January
2007
Published online:
31
January
2007
Diffraction of thermal velocity metastable atoms by non-magnetic and magnetic reflection gratings of micrometric period has been observed. This observation is made possible by the use of an ultra narrow beam generated by metastability exchange. Grazing incidence angles are exploited to minimise the quenching of metastable atoms on the grating surface. Potential applications are beam splitting, atom holography and probing of micro-sized solid surfaces.
PACS: 03.75.-b – Matter waves / 68.49.Bc – Atom scattering from surfaces (diffraction and energy transfer) / 75.70.Rf – Surface magnetism
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2007
