Quantum transmission of atoms through a slab of superfluid helium

We describe a measurement of the transmission probability of 4He atoms through a freely suspended slab of superfluid 4He at low temperatures. In our experiment the slab is realized by using an array of parallel cylindrical holes of diameter 51 microm in a glass disc of thickness 190 microm. By controlling the chemical potential, the holes can be made to fill or empty with liquid, and the surface curvature varied. We have measured the transmission of atom beams, generated by a thin-film heater and detected with a sensitive bolometer, through this structure. The results show that the dominant transmission channel is atom-R+ roton-atom with a probability p approximately 0.12 and that R+ rotons can undergo total internal reflection at the free liquid surfaces.