PROPOSAL FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION-REFLECTION BEAM SPLITTER FOR MULTILEVEL ATOMS

An atomic de Broglie wave beam splitter is proposed. It is the analogu e of a half-silvered mirror. The interaction of multi-level atoms (J(g ) = 1 - J(e) = 0) with a laser beam in the presence of a static magnet ic field leads to the partial transmission and reflection of the atomi c beam. The coherent splitting of the atomic beam occurs due to non-ad iabatic transitions between different dressed states in the vicinity o f avoided crossings. The transition probabilities and populations of s plit beams are dependent on the value of the magnetic field, laser det uning, and the ratio between different polarization components in the laser beam. For optimal conditions the population of each of the two t ransmitted and two reflected beams is 25 percent. The phases of the tr ansmitted and reflected components of atoms in the m = 0 state have be en calculated.