Magic ratio of window width to grating period for van der Waals potential measurements using material gratings

Vincent P.A. Lonij; William F. Holmgren; Alexander D. Cronin

doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.80.062904

Magic ratio of window width to grating period for van der Waals potential measurements using material gratings

Vincent P.A. Lonij, William F. Holmgren, Alexander D. Cronin

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report improved precision measurements of the van der Waals potential strength (C3) for Na atoms and a silicon-nitride (SiNx) surface. We studied diffraction from nanofabricated gratings with a particular "magic" open fraction that allows us to determine C3 without the need for separate measurements of the width of the grating openings. Therefore, finding the magic open fraction improves the precision of C3 measurements. The same effect is demonstrated for a grating with an arbitrary open fraction by rotating it to a particular "magic" angle, yielding C3 =3.42±0.19 eV 3 for Na and a SiNx surface. This precision is sufficient to detect a change in C3 due to a thin metal coating on the grating surface. We discuss the contribution to C3 of core electrons and edge effects.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	062904
Journal	Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Volume	80
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.80.062904
State	Published - Dec 18 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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10.1103/PhysRevA.80.062904

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Lonij, V. P. A., Holmgren, W. F., & Cronin, A. D. (2009). Magic ratio of window width to grating period for van der Waals potential measurements using material gratings. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 80(6), [062904]. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.80.062904

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abstract = "We report improved precision measurements of the van der Waals potential strength (C3) for Na atoms and a silicon-nitride (SiNx) surface. We studied diffraction from nanofabricated gratings with a particular {"}magic{"} open fraction that allows us to determine C3 without the need for separate measurements of the width of the grating openings. Therefore, finding the magic open fraction improves the precision of C3 measurements. The same effect is demonstrated for a grating with an arbitrary open fraction by rotating it to a particular {"}magic{"} angle, yielding C3 =3.42±0.19 eV 3 for Na and a SiNx surface. This precision is sufficient to detect a change in C3 due to a thin metal coating on the grating surface. We discuss the contribution to C3 of core electrons and edge effects.",

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