Transient Quantum Trapping of Fast Atoms at Surfaces

M. Debiossac, A. Zugarramurdi, P. Lunca-Popa, A. Momeni, H. Khemliche, A. G. Borisov, and P. Roncin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 023203 – Published 14 January 2014
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Abstract

We report on the experimental observation and theoretical study of the bound state resonances in fast atom diffraction at surfaces. In our studies, the He4 atom beam has been scattered from a high-quality LiF(001) surface at very small grazing incidence angles. In this regime, the reciprocal lattice vector exchange with the surface allows transient trapping of the 0.3–0.5 keV projectiles into the quasistationary states bound by the attractive atom-surface potential well which is only 10 meV deep. Analysis of the linewidths of the calculated and measured resonances reveals that prior to their release, the trapped projectiles preserve their coherence over travel distances along the surface as large as 0.2μm, while being in average only at some angstroms in front of the last atomic plane.

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  • Received 23 October 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.023203

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Debiossac1, A. Zugarramurdi1, P. Lunca-Popa1, A. Momeni1,2, H. Khemliche1, A. G. Borisov1,*, and P. Roncin1

  • 1Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay, UMR 8214 CNRS–Université Paris-Sud, Bât. 351, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay CEDEX, France
  • 2Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 33 Boulevard du Port, F-95031 Cergy, France

  • *andrei.borissov@u-psud.fr

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Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 2 — 17 January 2014

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