A MODULATED MIRROR FOR ATOMIC INTERFEROMETRY

A novel atomic beam splitter, using reflection of atoms off an evanesc ent light wave, is investigated theoretically. The intensity or freque ncy of the light is modulated in order to create sidebands on the refl ected de Broglie wave. The weights and phases of the various sidebands are calculated using three different approaches: the Born approximati on, a semiclassical path integral approach, and a numerical solution o f the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. We show how this modulated mirror could be used to build practical atomic interferometers.