Specular reflection of very slow metastable neon atoms from a solid surface.
An ultracold narrow atomic beam of metastable neon in the 1s3[(2s)(5)3p:1P0] state is used to study specular reflection of atoms from a solid surface at extremely slow incident velocity. The reflectivity on a silicon (1,0,0) surface and a BK7 glass surface is measured at the normal incident velocity between 1 mm/s and 3 cm/s. The reflectivity above 30% is observed at about 1 mm/s. The observed velocity dependence is explained semiquantitatively by the quantum reflection that is caused by the attractive Casimir-van der Waals potential of the atom-surface interaction.
Shimizu
F
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Institute for Laser Science and CREST, University of Electro-Communications, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan.