A modulated mirror for atomic interferometry
arXiv:quant-ph/0408156
Abstract
A novel atomic beam splitter, using reflection of atoms off an evanescent light wave, is investigated theoretically. The intensity or frequency of the light is modulated in order to create sidebands on the reflected de Broglie wave. The weights and phases of the various sidebands are calculated using three different approaches: the Born approximation, a semiclassical path integral approach, and a numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We show how this modulated mirror could be used to build practical atomic interferometers.
20 pages, 6 figures, re-typed electronic copy of print version. jphysfr.sty file included