Quantum reflection

Quantum reflection is a physical phenomenon involving the reflection of a matter wave from an attractive potential. In classical mechanics, such a phenomenon is not possible; for instance when one magnet is pulled toward another, the observer does not expect one of the magnets to suddenly (i.e. before the magnets 'touch') turn around and retreat in the opposite direction.

Quantum reflection became an important branch of physics in the 21st century. In a workshop about quantum reflection, the following definition of quantum reflection was suggested:

Quantum reflection is a classically counterintuitive phenomenon whereby the motion of particles is reverted "against the force" acting on them. This effect manifests the wave nature of particles and influences collisions of ultracold atoms and interaction of atoms with solid surfaces.

Observation of quantum reflection has become possible thanks to recent advances in trapping and cooling atoms.

Although the principles of quantum mechanics apply to any particles, usually the term "quantum reflection" means reflection of atoms from a surface of condensed matter (liquid or solid). The full potential experienced by the incident atom does become repulsive at a very small distance from the surface (of order of size of atoms). This is when the atom becomes aware of the discrete character of material. This repulsion is responsible for the classical scattering one would expect for particles incident on a surface. Such scattering is diffuse rather than specular, and so this component of the reflection is easy to distinguish. Indeed to reduce this part of the physical process, a grazing angle of incidence is used; this enhances the quantum reflection. This requirement of small incident velocities for the particles means that the non-relativistic approximation to quantum mechanics is all that is required.

So far, one usually considers the single-dimensional case of this phenomenon, that is when the potential has translational symmetry in two directions (say ${\displaystyle y}$ and ${\displaystyle z}$), such that only a single coordinate (say ${\displaystyle x}$) is important. In this case one can examine the specular reflection of a slow neutral atom from a solid state surface . Where one has an atom in a region of free space close to a material capable of being polarized, a combination of the pure van der Waals interaction, and the related Casimir-Polder interaction attracts the atom to the surface of the material. The latter force dominates when the atom is comparatively far from the surface, and the former when the atom comes closer to the surface. The intermediate region is controversial as it is dependent upon the specific nature and quantum state of the incident atom.

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