Study of atom-surface interaction using magnetic atom mirror

\n \nWe report on a measurement of the van der Waals interaction between rubidium\natoms in the ground state and a metallic surface, employing a new method\ninvolving reflection of laser-cooled atoms from magnetic thin-film atom\nmirrors. We made use of the fact that the typical distance from which atoms\nreflect from thin-film magnetic mirrors is of the order of the magnetic \ndomain size and the thickness of the thin film. The modification of the \nreflectivity of cold atoms from cobalt thin-film magnetic mirrors, with \nthickness in the range of $200\\mbox{--}20\\un{nm}$ , due to the competition between the \nattractive atom-surface interaction and the repulsive magnetic interaction \nenabled the measurement of the van der Waals force in the range 20– $50\\un{nm}$ \nwith an uncertainty of 15%. The measured value agrees well with recent\ntheoretical estimates.\n\n\n \nWe report on a measurement of the van der Waals interaction between rubidium\natoms in the ground state and a metallic surface, employing a new method\ninvolving reflection of laser-cooled atoms from magnetic thin-film atom\nmirrors. We made use of the fact that the typical distance from which atoms\nreflect from thin-film magnetic mirrors is of the order of the magnetic \ndomain size and the thickness of the thin film. The modification of the \nreflectivity of cold atoms from cobalt thin-film magnetic mirrors, with \nthickness in the range of $200\\mbox{--}20\\un{nm}$, due to the competition between the \nattractive atom-surface interaction and the repulsive magnetic interaction \nenabled the measurement of the van der Waals force in the range 20–$50\\un{nm}$ \nwith an uncertainty of 15%. The measured value agrees well with recent\ntheoretical estimates.\n\n

Europhysics Letters (EPL)Feb 7, 200631 citations

Atomic reflection from a magnetic mirror: Beyond the adiabatic approximation

Uffe V. Poulsen, Klaus Mølmer

The European Physical Journal DJul 1, 20001 citation

Atom optics with magnetic surfaces: I. Storage of cold atoms in a curved `floppy disk'

Ifan G. Hughes, P A Barton, Timothy Roach +2 more

We have demonstrated that a suitably magnetized surface can be used to retroreflect cold atoms for applications in atom optics. This has some advantages relative to evanescent wave mirrors because no light is involved. Multiple bounces of cold rubidium atoms have been observed for times up to 1 s in a trap formed by gravity and a 2 cm diameter spherical mirror made from a flexible computer disk (`floppy disk'). We have studied the dynamics of the atoms bouncing in this trap from several different heights up to 40.5 mm and we conclude that the atoms are reflected specularly and with reflectivity 1.01(3). The performance of this mirror is limited at present by collisions with the background gas and by unwanted harmonics in the magnetization of the surface. This is the first in a series of papers concerning the use of magnetized surfaces in atom optics.We have demonstrated that a suitably magnetized surface can be used to retroreflect cold atoms for applications in atom optics. This has some advantages relative to evanescent wave mirrors because no light is involved. Multiple bounces of cold rubidium atoms have been observed for times up to 1 s in a trap formed by gravity and a 2 cm diameter spherical mirror made from a flexible computer disk (`floppy disk'). We have studied the dynamics of the atoms bouncing in this trap from several different heights up to 40.5 mm and we conclude that the atoms are reflected specularly and with reflectivity 1.01(3). The performance of this mirror is limited at present by collisions with the background gas and by unwanted harmonics in the magnetization of the surface. This is the first in a series of papers concerning the use of magnetized surfaces in atom optics.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical PhysicsFeb 14, 199747 citations

Observation of Atom-Surface Interaction Using Ultracold Atoms

Yutaka Kobayashi

Aug 1, 20170 citations

Improving the specularity of magnetic mirrors for atoms

Gary Zabow, Marija Drndić, Joseph H. Thywissen +3 more

The European Physical Journal DJan 1, 19996 citations

200\\mbox{--}20\\un{nm}

, due to the competition between the \nattractive atom-surface interaction and the repulsive magnetic interaction \nenabled the measurement of the van der Waals force in the range 20–

50\\un{nm}

\nwith an uncertainty of 15%. The measured value agrees well with recent\ntheoretical estimates.\n\n