22 research outputs found
Negative-index media for matter-wave optics
We consider the extension of optical meta-materials to matter waves. We show
that the generic property of pulsed comoving magnetic fields allows us to
fashion the wave-number dependence of the atomic phase shift. It can be used to
produce a transient negative group velocity of an atomic wave packet, which
results into a negative refraction of the matter wave. Application to slow
metastable argon atoms Ar*(3P2) shows that the device is able to operate either
as an efficient beam splitter or an atomic meta-lens. Implications of
"meta-media" in atom optics are considered.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted at PRL 4 November 200
Dynamics of evanescent matter waves in negative-index media
International audiencenumbers: 03.75.-b Matter Waves 03.75.Be Atom and Neutron Optics 37.10.Gh Atom Traps and Guides 42.25.-p Wave Optics ABSTRACT Semi-evanescent and evanescent matter-waves produced by an atom wave packet impinging a repulsive barrier can be back-refracted and reconstructed by the application of negative-index " comoving " potential pulses. One shows that those collapses and revivals generate a matter wave confined on both sides of the barrier border (" surface matter wave ") and should be observable via the retardation of atom reflection from the barrier interface. This property, joined to the possibility recently demonstrated of inducing negative refraction of atom waves, makes such potentials a matter-wave counterpart of negative-index materials or " meta materials " well-known in light optics
Time reversal in matter-wave optics
The evolution of atomic wave packets experiencing so-called comoving
potential pulses is examined theoretically, in the framework of the
stationary-phase approximation. The negative refraction induced by this
potential is a characteristic property of negative-index media, the atomic
counterpart of negative-index materials of light optics. A novel process,
specific of negative-index for matter waves, is evidenced, namely a
narrowing of the wave packet transiently counterbalancing the natural
spreading. This is the manifestation of a general property of negative-index
media, i.e. a time reversal effect. It is shown that, for a statistical ensemble
of wave packets leading to a moderate dispersion of the times of flight,
this time reversal phenomenon should be observable