Atom diffraction from magnetic gratings in the thin phase-grating approximation

The problem of atom diffraction from a reflecting magnetic diffraction grating is solved in the thin phase-grating approximation. The general problem for scalar diffraction is modelled using a semi-classical method in which the grating potential is separated into a reflecting term and a diffracting term. The trajectory of the atom in the reflecting potential is solved classically and the atom wave function in the diffracting potential found by integrating the phase change along the classical trajectory. The diffraction orders are obtained after Fourier transforming the result. This can be done independently of the grating potential resulting in a general formula for the diffraction efficiencies. The general result is applied to the problem of atom diffraction from a magnetic grating. Several approximations are required to reduce the problem to a form amenable to analytic solution. The results are compared with an accurate numerical method. Received 1st February 2001 and Received in final form 8 March 2001