Abstract

Evanescent wave mirrors rely on the dipole force existing when an atom is in an evanescent wave, slightly detuned above an atomic resonance. Since the reflection takes place close to the dielectric wall supporting the evanescent wave, at a fraction of the optical wavelength. the van der Waals interaction between the atom and the wall may play a dramatic role.¹ For instance, in the typical atomic mirror experiment described in Ref. 2, the height of the reflecting potential barrier is reduced by a factor of three. More subtle effects are related to differential effects between different atomic Zeeman sublevels; they must be taken into account in atomic interferometers using atomic mirrors.³

© 1997 Optical Society of America