Kirchhoff approximation and closed-form expressions for atom-surface scattering

Abstract

In this paper an approximate solution for atom-surface scattering is presented beyond the physical optics approximation. The potential is well represented by a hard corrugated surface but includes an attractive tail in front. The calculation is carried out analytically by two different methods, and the limit of validity of our formulas is well established in the text. In contrast with other workers, I find those expressions to be exact in both limits of small (Rayleigh region) and large momenta (classical region), with the correct behavior at the threshold. The result is attained through a particular use of the extinction theorem in writing the scattered amplitudes, hitherto not employed, and not for particular boundary values of the field. An explicit evaluation of the field on the surface shows in fact the present formulas to be simply related to the well known Kirchhoff approximation (KA) or more generally to an "extended" KA fit to the potential model above. A possible application of the theory to treat strong resonance-overlapping effects is suggested in the last part of the work.