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Quantum reflection of atoms from a solid surface at normal incidence

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arxiv cond-mat/0405530 v2 pith:KI7EQYYO submitted 2004-05-21 cond-mat.other

Quantum reflection of atoms from a solid surface at normal incidence

classification cond-mat.other
keywords reflectionsurfaceatomsquantumsolidattractiveconfinedincident
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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We observed quantum reflection of ultracold atoms from the attractive potential of a solid surface. Extremely dilute Bose-Einstein condensates of ^{23}Na, with peak density 10^{11}-10^{12}atoms/cm^3, confined in a weak gravito-magnetic trap were normally incident on a silicon surface. Reflection probabilities of up to 20 % were observed for incident velocities of 1-8 mm/s. The velocity dependence agrees qualitatively with the prediction for quantum reflection from the attractive Casimir-Polder potential. Atoms confined in a harmonic trap divided in half by a solid surface exhibited extended lifetime due to quantum reflection from the surface, implying a reflection probability above 50 %.

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