| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 55, Number 3, August 2001
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 303 - 309 | |
| Section | General | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2001-00415-5 | |
| Published online | 01 December 2003 | |
On the classical limit in atom-surface diffraction
1
Departamento de Química, C-IX, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid
Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
2
Instituto de Matemáticas y Física Fundamental, CSIC
Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Received:
5
April
2001
Accepted:
21
May
2001
The transition to the classical limit in atom-surface diffraction is studied using the de Broglie-Bohm causal formalism. In particular, we focus on rainbow scattering, which is a well-defined effect in classical mechanics and has a clear counterpart in quantum mechanics. In order to achieve this limit, we consider the scattering of particles with increasing masses off a Cu(110) surface. Although the classical limit seems strictly unreachable, quantum trajectories mimic the characteristics of the classical intensity distribution, and their use allows to unveil the mechanism by which the quantum rainbow condition takes place.
PACS: 03.65.-w – Quantum mechanics / 03.65.Ta – Foundations of quantum mechanics; measurement theory / 79.20.Rf – Atomic, molecular and ion beam impact and interactions with surfaces
© EDP Sciences, 2001
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