Abstract

Diffraction of atoms from a standing-wave light field has important applications like e g atom interferometry, where an efficient beam splitter for atomic de Broglie waves is needed In this context, Bragg scattering into a single diffraction order is of particular importance. Due to energy and momentum conservation during the interaction of the atom with the light field, unidirectional scattering can only be realized for long atom-field interaction times. In this case, transitions are allowed only between momentum states with the same kinetic energy. So far, all experiments were performed with fast atoms from a thermal atomic beam [1,2].

© 1996 IEEE