Quantum reflection of antihydrogen from Casimir potential above matter slabs

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum reflection of antihydrogen atoms from matter slabs caused by Casimir-Polder forces, providing realistic estimates and exploring implications for trapping antihydrogen.

Contribution

It offers the first detailed calculation of antihydrogen quantum reflection considering specific properties of antihydrogen and material slabs, revealing counterintuitive effects related to potential strength.

Findings

Larger reflection coefficients can occur with weaker potentials.

Reflection at low energies characterized by a scattering length.

Potential applications in antihydrogen trapping and guiding.

Abstract

We study quantum reflection of antihydrogen atoms from matter slabs due to the van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) potential. By taking into account the specificities of antihydrogen and the optical properties and width of the slabs we calculate realistic estimates for the potential and quantum reflection amplitudes. Next we discuss the paradoxical result of larger reflection coefficients estimated for weaker potentials in terms of the Schwarzian derivative. We analyze the limiting case of reflections at small energies, which are characterized by a scattering length and have interesting applications for trapping and guiding antihydrogen using material walls.