Hannover 2016 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 3: Atomic systems in external fields I
A 3.2: Talk
Monday, February 29, 2016, 11:30–11:45, f303
Ab initio 2D computations for quantum reflection from metallic surfaces — •Emanuele Galiffi1,3, Maarten DeKieviet2, and Sandro Wimberger1,4,5 — 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Philosophenweg 16, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany — 2Physikalisches Institut - Im Neuenheimer Feld 226 69120, Heidelberg, Germany — 3Department of Physics - Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ, UK — 4Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra - Università degli Studi di Parma, Via G. P. Usberti 7/a, 43124, Italy — 5INFN, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Gruppo Collegato di Parma, Italy
The numerical study of scattering problems finds a wide range of applications in surface science, and in particular quantum reflection (QR). We present a highly optimised, norm-preserving method to compute QR of slow atoms from metallic surfaces by solving numerically the Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation in 2D. The aim of our study is to provide a proof of principle that QR from 2D uni-axially periodic potential structures can be investigated in a time-dependent fashion. To this end, the numerical procedures used are presented, as well as comparisons with 1D results for QR from static and oscillating 1D potentials and preliminary results for QR from a truly 2D non-separable potential. This enables the first systematic investigation of atom-surface potentials, where Casimir interactions are relevant, as well as numerical tests on quantum diffraction.