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Serge Reynaud

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Valery Nesvizhevsky

Valery Nesvizhevsky

Institut Laue-Langevin

Jörg Schmiedmayer

Tu Wien

Alexander Petukhov

Institut Laue-Langevin

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Papers by Serge Reynaud

A spectroscopy approach to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2014

We study a method to induce resonant transitions between antihydrogen [Formula: see text] quantum... more We study a method to induce resonant transitions between antihydrogen [Formula: see text] quantum states above a material surface in the gravitational field of the Earth. The method consists of applying a gradient of magnetic field, which is temporally oscillating with the frequency equal to a frequency of transition between gravitational states of antihydrogen. A corresponding resonant change in the spatial density of antihydrogen atoms could be measured as a function of the frequency of applied field. We estimate an accuracy of measuring antihydrogen gravitational states spacing and show how a value of the gravitational mass of the [Formula: see text] atom could be deduced from such a measurement. We also demonstrate that a method of induced transitions could be combined with a free-fall-time measurement in order to further improve the precision.

Odyssey 2 : A mission toward Neptune and Triton to test General Relativity

Odyssey 2 will be proposed in December 2010 for the next call of M3 missions for Cosmic Vision 20... more Odyssey 2 will be proposed in December 2010 for the next call of M3 missions for Cosmic Vision 2015-2025. This mission, under a Phase 0 study performed by CNES, will aim at Neptune and Triton. Two sets of objectives will be pursued. The first one is to perform a set of gravitation experiments at the Solar System scale. Experimental tests

Testing the gravitational redshift with atomic gravimeters?

IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium, 2011

Atom interferometers allow the measurement of the acceleration of freely falling atoms with respe... more Atom interferometers allow the measurement of the acceleration of freely falling atoms with respect to an experimen- tal platform at rest on Earth's surface. Such experiments have been used to test the universality of free fall by comparing the acceleration of the atoms to that of a classical freely falling object. In a recent paper, M¨ uller, Peters and Chu

Casimir effect and vacuum energy

Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mi... more Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mirrors in vacuum. This force is now measured with good accuracy and agreement with theory. We discuss the meaning and consequences of these statements by emphasizing their relation with the problem of vacuum energy, one of the main unsolved problems at the interface between gravitational and quantum theory.

Thermal and Quantum Noise in Active Systems

Lecture Notes in Physics, 2000

We present a quantum network approach to the treatment of thermal and quantum fluctuations in mea... more We present a quantum network approach to the treatment of thermal and quantum fluctuations in measurement devices. The measurement is described as a scattering process of input fluctuations towards output ones. We present the results obtained with this method for the treatment of a cold damped capacitive accelerometer.

Relativity of Motion in Quantum Vacuum

On Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Gravitation and Relativistic Field Theories (In 3 Volumes), 2002

The problem of relativity of motion in quantum vacuum is addressed by considering a cavity moving... more The problem of relativity of motion in quantum vacuum is addressed by considering a cavity moving in vacuum in a monodimensional space. The cavity is an open system which emits photons when it oscillates in vacuum. Qualitatively new effects like pulse shaping in the time domain and frequency conversion in the spectrum may help to discrimate motion-induced radiation from potential stray effects.

Recent Experiments on the Casimir Effect: Description and Analysis

Poincaré Seminar 2002, 2003

After its prediction in 1948 [1], the Casimir force has been observed in a number of 'historic' e... more After its prediction in 1948 [1], the Casimir force has been observed in a number of 'historic' experiments which confirmed its existence and main properties . The Casimir force has recently been measured with a largely improved experimental precision which allows for an accurate comparison between measured values of the force and theoretical predictions. This comparison is interesting for various reasons.

Negative Casimir entropies in nanoparticle interactions

by Kimball Milton, Serge Reynaud, and Gert-Ludwig Ingold

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal, Jan 3, 2015

Negative entropy has been known in Casimir systems for some time. For example, it can occur betwe... more Negative entropy has been known in Casimir systems for some time. For example, it can occur between parallel metallic plates modeled by a realistic Drude permittivity. Less well known is that negative entropy can occur purely geometrically, say between a perfectly conducting sphere and a conducting plate. The latter effect is most pronounced in the dipole approximation, which is reliable when the size of the sphere is small compared to the separation between the sphere and the plate. Therefore, here we examine cases where negative entropy can occur between two electrically and magnetically polarizable nanoparticles or atoms, which need not be isotropic, and between such a small object and a conducting plate. Negative entropy can occur even between two perfectly conducting spheres, between two electrically polarizable nanoparticles if there is sufficient anisotropy, between a perfectly conducting sphere and a Drude sphere, and between a sufficiently anisotropic electrically polarizab...

Squeezed Light: Progress and Perspectives

Laser Spectroscopy, 1989

Neptune and Triton: Essential pieces of the Solar System puzzle

Planetary and Space Science, 2014

ABSTRACT The planet Neptune and its largest moon Triton hold the keys to major advances across mu... more ABSTRACT The planet Neptune and its largest moon Triton hold the keys to major advances across multiple fields of Solar System science. The ice giant Neptune played a unique and important role in the process of Solar System formation, has the most meteorologically active atmosphere in the Solar System (despite its great distance from the Sun), and may be the best Solar System analogue of the dominant class of exoplanets detected to date. Neptune&#39;s moon Triton is very likely a captured Kuiper Belt object, holding the answers to questions about the icy dwarf planets that formed in the outer Solar System. Triton is geologically active, has a tenuous nitrogen atmosphere, and is predicted to have a subsurface ocean. However, our exploration of the Neptune system remains limited to a single spacecraft flyby, made by Voyager 2 in 1989. Here, we present the high-level science case for further exploration of this outermost planetary system, based on a white paper submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) for the definition of the second and third large missions in the ESA Cosmic Vision Programme 2015–2025. We discuss all the major science themes that are relevant for further spacecraft exploration of the Neptune system, and identify key scientific questions in each area. We present an overview of the results of a European-led Neptune orbiter mission analysis. Such a mission has significant scope for international collaboration, and is essential to achieve our aim of understanding how the Solar System formed, and how it works today.

Fluctuations of the Casimir potential above a disordered medium

The European Physical Journal D, 2015

ABSTRACT We study the statistical fluctuations of the Casimir potential felt by an atom approachi... more ABSTRACT We study the statistical fluctuations of the Casimir potential felt by an atom approaching a dielectric disordered medium. Starting from a microscopic model for the disorder, we calculate the variance of potential fluctuations in the limit of a weak density of heterogeneities. We show that fluctuations are essentially governed by scattering of the radiation on a single heterogeneity, and discuss in which limits they become larger than the average value predicted by effective medium theory. Finally, for denser disorder we show that multiple scattering processes become relevant.

Simulations of Solar System Observations in Alternative Theories of Gravity

The Thirteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting, 2014

ABSTRACT In this communication, we focus on the possibility to test General Relativity (GR) with ... more ABSTRACT In this communication, we focus on the possibility to test General Relativity (GR) with radioscience experiments. We present simulations of observables performed in alternative theories of gravity using a software that simulates Range/Doppler signals directly from the space time metric. This software allows one to get the order of magnitude and the signature of the modifications induced by an alternative theory of gravity on radioscience signals. As examples, we present some simulations for the Cassini mission in Post-Einsteinian gravity (PEG) and with Standard Model Extension (SME).

Geometric origin of negative Casimir entropies: A scattering-channel analysis

by Kimball Milton, Serge Reynaud, and Gert-Ludwig Ingold

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 2015

Negative values of the Casimir entropy occur quite frequently at low temperatures in arrangements... more Negative values of the Casimir entropy occur quite frequently at low temperatures in arrangements of metallic objects. The physical reason lies either in the dissipative nature of the metals as is the case for the plane-plane geometry or in the geometric form of the objects involved. Examples for the latter are the sphere-plane and the sphere-sphere geometry, where negative Casimir entropies can occur already for perfect metal objects. After appropriately scaling out the size of the objects, negative Casimir entropies of geometric origin are particularly pronounced in the limit of large distances between the objects. We analyze this limit in terms of the different scattering channels and demonstrate how the negativity of the Casimir entropy is related to the polarization mixing arising in the scattering process. If all involved objects have a finite zero-frequency conductivity, the channels involving transverse electric modes are suppressed and the Casimir entropy within the large-d...

Casimir Effect in the Scattering Approach: Correlations Between Material Properties, Temperature and Geometry

Lecture Notes in Physics, 2011

We present calculations of the quantum and thermal Casimir interaction between real mirrors in el... more We present calculations of the quantum and thermal Casimir interaction between real mirrors in electromagnetic fields using the scattering approach. We begin with a pedagogical introduction of this approach in simple cases where the scattering is specular. We then discuss the more general case of stationary arbitrarily shaped mirrors and present in particular applications to two geometries of interest for experiments, that is corrugated plates and the plane-sphere geometry. The results nicely illustrate the rich correlations existing between material properties, temperature and geometry in the Casimir effect.

The Casimir Effect in the Sphere-Plane Geometry

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2012

We present calculations of the Casimir interaction between a sphere and a plane, using a multipol... more We present calculations of the Casimir interaction between a sphere and a plane, using a multipolar expansion of the scattering formula. This configuration enables us to study the nontrivial dependence of the Casimir force on the geometry, and its correlations with the effects of imperfect reflection and temperature. The accuracy of the Proximity Force Approximation (PFA) is assessed, and is shown to be affected by imperfect reflexion. Our analytical and numerical results at ambient temperature show a rich variety of interplays between the effects of curvature, temperature, finite conductivity, and dissipation.

Casimir Effect and Vacuum Energy

The Universe in a Helium Droplet, 2009

Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mi... more Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mirrors in vacuum. This force is now measured with good accuracy and agreement with theory. We discuss the meaning and consequences of these statements by emphasizing their relation with the problem of vacuum energy, one of the main unsolved problems at the interface between gravitational and quantum theory.

Derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors

by Kimball Milton and Serge Reynaud

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 2014

We carefully reexamine the conditions of validity for the consistent derivation of the Lifshitz-M... more We carefully reexamine the conditions of validity for the consistent derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors. We recover the usual expression for the lossy Drude model but not for the lossless plasma model. We give an interpretation of this new result in terms of the modes associated with the Foucault currents, which play a role in the limit of vanishing losses, in contrast to common expectations.

Observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using an optical parametric oscillator

Physical review letters, Jan 11, 1990

We report the observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using the correlated "twin" beam... more We report the observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using the correlated "twin" beams generated by an optical parametric oscillator. The intensity fluctuations in one of these beams are reduced by a feedforward correction mechanism that monitors the intensity of the second beam. The observed reduction in noise power is up to 24% below the shot-noise limit.

Quantum nondemolition measurements using a crossed Kerr effect between atomic and light fields

Physical review. A, 1995

We analyze the coupling between the fluctuations of an atomic beam incident on an evanescent wave... more We analyze the coupling between the fluctuations of an atomic beam incident on an evanescent wave mirror and the fluctuations of the laser beam producing the evanescent potential barrier. We show that this coupling is equivalent to a crossed Kerr efFect between an atomic field and a light field, and that the consistency of the theory requires that both fields be subject to symmetrical commutation relations and quantum fluctuations. We show in particular that the phase shift undergone by the light field during the atomic reflection process permits a quantum nondemolition measurement of the incident atomic intensity.

Quantum reflection of antihydrogen in the GBAR experiment

by Valery Nesvizhevsky and Serge Reynaud

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2014

In the GBAR experiment, cold antihydrogen atoms will be left to fall on an annihilation plate wit... more In the GBAR experiment, cold antihydrogen atoms will be left to fall on an annihilation plate with the aim of measuring the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Here, we study the quantum reflection of these antiatoms due to the Casimir-Polder potential above the plate. We give realistic estimates of the potential and quantum reflection amplitudes, taking into account the specificities of antihydrogen and the optical properties of the plate. We find that quantum reflection is enhanced for weaker potentials, for example above thin slabs, graphene and nanoporous media.

A spectroscopy approach to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2014

We study a method to induce resonant transitions between antihydrogen [Formula: see text] quantum... more We study a method to induce resonant transitions between antihydrogen [Formula: see text] quantum states above a material surface in the gravitational field of the Earth. The method consists of applying a gradient of magnetic field, which is temporally oscillating with the frequency equal to a frequency of transition between gravitational states of antihydrogen. A corresponding resonant change in the spatial density of antihydrogen atoms could be measured as a function of the frequency of applied field. We estimate an accuracy of measuring antihydrogen gravitational states spacing and show how a value of the gravitational mass of the [Formula: see text] atom could be deduced from such a measurement. We also demonstrate that a method of induced transitions could be combined with a free-fall-time measurement in order to further improve the precision.

Odyssey 2 : A mission toward Neptune and Triton to test General Relativity

Odyssey 2 will be proposed in December 2010 for the next call of M3 missions for Cosmic Vision 20... more Odyssey 2 will be proposed in December 2010 for the next call of M3 missions for Cosmic Vision 2015-2025. This mission, under a Phase 0 study performed by CNES, will aim at Neptune and Triton. Two sets of objectives will be pursued. The first one is to perform a set of gravitation experiments at the Solar System scale. Experimental tests

Testing the gravitational redshift with atomic gravimeters?

IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium, 2011

Atom interferometers allow the measurement of the acceleration of freely falling atoms with respe... more Atom interferometers allow the measurement of the acceleration of freely falling atoms with respect to an experimen- tal platform at rest on Earth's surface. Such experiments have been used to test the universality of free fall by comparing the acceleration of the atoms to that of a classical freely falling object. In a recent paper, M¨ uller, Peters and Chu

Casimir effect and vacuum energy

Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mi... more Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mirrors in vacuum. This force is now measured with good accuracy and agreement with theory. We discuss the meaning and consequences of these statements by emphasizing their relation with the problem of vacuum energy, one of the main unsolved problems at the interface between gravitational and quantum theory.

Thermal and Quantum Noise in Active Systems

Lecture Notes in Physics, 2000

We present a quantum network approach to the treatment of thermal and quantum fluctuations in mea... more We present a quantum network approach to the treatment of thermal and quantum fluctuations in measurement devices. The measurement is described as a scattering process of input fluctuations towards output ones. We present the results obtained with this method for the treatment of a cold damped capacitive accelerometer.

Relativity of Motion in Quantum Vacuum

On Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Gravitation and Relativistic Field Theories (In 3 Volumes), 2002

The problem of relativity of motion in quantum vacuum is addressed by considering a cavity moving... more The problem of relativity of motion in quantum vacuum is addressed by considering a cavity moving in vacuum in a monodimensional space. The cavity is an open system which emits photons when it oscillates in vacuum. Qualitatively new effects like pulse shaping in the time domain and frequency conversion in the spectrum may help to discrimate motion-induced radiation from potential stray effects.

Recent Experiments on the Casimir Effect: Description and Analysis

Poincaré Seminar 2002, 2003

After its prediction in 1948 [1], the Casimir force has been observed in a number of 'historic' e... more After its prediction in 1948 [1], the Casimir force has been observed in a number of 'historic' experiments which confirmed its existence and main properties . The Casimir force has recently been measured with a largely improved experimental precision which allows for an accurate comparison between measured values of the force and theoretical predictions. This comparison is interesting for various reasons.

Negative Casimir entropies in nanoparticle interactions

by Kimball Milton, Serge Reynaud, and Gert-Ludwig Ingold

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal, Jan 3, 2015

Negative entropy has been known in Casimir systems for some time. For example, it can occur betwe... more Negative entropy has been known in Casimir systems for some time. For example, it can occur between parallel metallic plates modeled by a realistic Drude permittivity. Less well known is that negative entropy can occur purely geometrically, say between a perfectly conducting sphere and a conducting plate. The latter effect is most pronounced in the dipole approximation, which is reliable when the size of the sphere is small compared to the separation between the sphere and the plate. Therefore, here we examine cases where negative entropy can occur between two electrically and magnetically polarizable nanoparticles or atoms, which need not be isotropic, and between such a small object and a conducting plate. Negative entropy can occur even between two perfectly conducting spheres, between two electrically polarizable nanoparticles if there is sufficient anisotropy, between a perfectly conducting sphere and a Drude sphere, and between a sufficiently anisotropic electrically polarizab...

Squeezed Light: Progress and Perspectives

Laser Spectroscopy, 1989

Neptune and Triton: Essential pieces of the Solar System puzzle

Planetary and Space Science, 2014

ABSTRACT The planet Neptune and its largest moon Triton hold the keys to major advances across mu... more ABSTRACT The planet Neptune and its largest moon Triton hold the keys to major advances across multiple fields of Solar System science. The ice giant Neptune played a unique and important role in the process of Solar System formation, has the most meteorologically active atmosphere in the Solar System (despite its great distance from the Sun), and may be the best Solar System analogue of the dominant class of exoplanets detected to date. Neptune&#39;s moon Triton is very likely a captured Kuiper Belt object, holding the answers to questions about the icy dwarf planets that formed in the outer Solar System. Triton is geologically active, has a tenuous nitrogen atmosphere, and is predicted to have a subsurface ocean. However, our exploration of the Neptune system remains limited to a single spacecraft flyby, made by Voyager 2 in 1989. Here, we present the high-level science case for further exploration of this outermost planetary system, based on a white paper submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) for the definition of the second and third large missions in the ESA Cosmic Vision Programme 2015–2025. We discuss all the major science themes that are relevant for further spacecraft exploration of the Neptune system, and identify key scientific questions in each area. We present an overview of the results of a European-led Neptune orbiter mission analysis. Such a mission has significant scope for international collaboration, and is essential to achieve our aim of understanding how the Solar System formed, and how it works today.

Fluctuations of the Casimir potential above a disordered medium

The European Physical Journal D, 2015

ABSTRACT We study the statistical fluctuations of the Casimir potential felt by an atom approachi... more ABSTRACT We study the statistical fluctuations of the Casimir potential felt by an atom approaching a dielectric disordered medium. Starting from a microscopic model for the disorder, we calculate the variance of potential fluctuations in the limit of a weak density of heterogeneities. We show that fluctuations are essentially governed by scattering of the radiation on a single heterogeneity, and discuss in which limits they become larger than the average value predicted by effective medium theory. Finally, for denser disorder we show that multiple scattering processes become relevant.

Simulations of Solar System Observations in Alternative Theories of Gravity

The Thirteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting, 2014

ABSTRACT In this communication, we focus on the possibility to test General Relativity (GR) with ... more ABSTRACT In this communication, we focus on the possibility to test General Relativity (GR) with radioscience experiments. We present simulations of observables performed in alternative theories of gravity using a software that simulates Range/Doppler signals directly from the space time metric. This software allows one to get the order of magnitude and the signature of the modifications induced by an alternative theory of gravity on radioscience signals. As examples, we present some simulations for the Cassini mission in Post-Einsteinian gravity (PEG) and with Standard Model Extension (SME).

Geometric origin of negative Casimir entropies: A scattering-channel analysis

by Kimball Milton, Serge Reynaud, and Gert-Ludwig Ingold

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 2015

Negative values of the Casimir entropy occur quite frequently at low temperatures in arrangements... more Negative values of the Casimir entropy occur quite frequently at low temperatures in arrangements of metallic objects. The physical reason lies either in the dissipative nature of the metals as is the case for the plane-plane geometry or in the geometric form of the objects involved. Examples for the latter are the sphere-plane and the sphere-sphere geometry, where negative Casimir entropies can occur already for perfect metal objects. After appropriately scaling out the size of the objects, negative Casimir entropies of geometric origin are particularly pronounced in the limit of large distances between the objects. We analyze this limit in terms of the different scattering channels and demonstrate how the negativity of the Casimir entropy is related to the polarization mixing arising in the scattering process. If all involved objects have a finite zero-frequency conductivity, the channels involving transverse electric modes are suppressed and the Casimir entropy within the large-d...

Casimir Effect in the Scattering Approach: Correlations Between Material Properties, Temperature and Geometry

Lecture Notes in Physics, 2011

We present calculations of the quantum and thermal Casimir interaction between real mirrors in el... more We present calculations of the quantum and thermal Casimir interaction between real mirrors in electromagnetic fields using the scattering approach. We begin with a pedagogical introduction of this approach in simple cases where the scattering is specular. We then discuss the more general case of stationary arbitrarily shaped mirrors and present in particular applications to two geometries of interest for experiments, that is corrugated plates and the plane-sphere geometry. The results nicely illustrate the rich correlations existing between material properties, temperature and geometry in the Casimir effect.

The Casimir Effect in the Sphere-Plane Geometry

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2012

We present calculations of the Casimir interaction between a sphere and a plane, using a multipol... more We present calculations of the Casimir interaction between a sphere and a plane, using a multipolar expansion of the scattering formula. This configuration enables us to study the nontrivial dependence of the Casimir force on the geometry, and its correlations with the effects of imperfect reflection and temperature. The accuracy of the Proximity Force Approximation (PFA) is assessed, and is shown to be affected by imperfect reflexion. Our analytical and numerical results at ambient temperature show a rich variety of interplays between the effects of curvature, temperature, finite conductivity, and dissipation.

Casimir Effect and Vacuum Energy

The Universe in a Helium Droplet, 2009

Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mi... more Vacuum fluctuations have observable consequences, like the Casimir force appearing between two mirrors in vacuum. This force is now measured with good accuracy and agreement with theory. We discuss the meaning and consequences of these statements by emphasizing their relation with the problem of vacuum energy, one of the main unsolved problems at the interface between gravitational and quantum theory.

Derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors

by Kimball Milton and Serge Reynaud

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 2014

We carefully reexamine the conditions of validity for the consistent derivation of the Lifshitz-M... more We carefully reexamine the conditions of validity for the consistent derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors. We recover the usual expression for the lossy Drude model but not for the lossless plasma model. We give an interpretation of this new result in terms of the modes associated with the Foucault currents, which play a role in the limit of vanishing losses, in contrast to common expectations.

Observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using an optical parametric oscillator

Physical review letters, Jan 11, 1990

We report the observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using the correlated "twin" beam... more We report the observation of high-intensity sub-Poissonian light using the correlated "twin" beams generated by an optical parametric oscillator. The intensity fluctuations in one of these beams are reduced by a feedforward correction mechanism that monitors the intensity of the second beam. The observed reduction in noise power is up to 24% below the shot-noise limit.

Quantum nondemolition measurements using a crossed Kerr effect between atomic and light fields

Physical review. A, 1995

We analyze the coupling between the fluctuations of an atomic beam incident on an evanescent wave... more We analyze the coupling between the fluctuations of an atomic beam incident on an evanescent wave mirror and the fluctuations of the laser beam producing the evanescent potential barrier. We show that this coupling is equivalent to a crossed Kerr efFect between an atomic field and a light field, and that the consistency of the theory requires that both fields be subject to symmetrical commutation relations and quantum fluctuations. We show in particular that the phase shift undergone by the light field during the atomic reflection process permits a quantum nondemolition measurement of the incident atomic intensity.

Quantum reflection of antihydrogen in the GBAR experiment

by Valery Nesvizhevsky and Serge Reynaud

International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series, 2014

In the GBAR experiment, cold antihydrogen atoms will be left to fall on an annihilation plate wit... more In the GBAR experiment, cold antihydrogen atoms will be left to fall on an annihilation plate with the aim of measuring the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Here, we study the quantum reflection of these antiatoms due to the Casimir-Polder potential above the plate. We give realistic estimates of the potential and quantum reflection amplitudes, taking into account the specificities of antihydrogen and the optical properties of the plate. We find that quantum reflection is enhanced for weaker potentials, for example above thin slabs, graphene and nanoporous media.