Abstract

The realization of a grating for atomic de Broglie waves using an evanescent standing laser field has recently received considerable interest with regard to both: its practical importance for atomic interferometry and its intrinsic features. The evanescent standing wave meets both conditions necessary for the diffraction grating: spatial periodicity parallel to the surface and repulsive light pressure force perpendicular to the surface.^[1]

© 1992 IQEC