Atom-surface diffraction: A quantum trajectory description

Abstract

The trajectory-based formalism of Bohmian mechanics constitutes an alternative (but equivalent at a predictive level) approach to the standard or conventional formulation of quantum mechanics. Here we show the advantages of this formalism in providing both an accurate description and a novel interpretation when applied to different phenomena of interest in elastic atom-surface scattering, such as (a) diffraction by a >soft> double-slit, (b) surface rainbows and quantum-classical correspondence, (c) quantum vortical dynamics due to the presence of single adsorbates, and (d) selective adsorption resonances and classical vs quantum trapping. These problems illustrate fairly well how quantum trajectories are able to satisfactorily reproduce the main features of real scattering experiments as well as to provide a causal insight of the underlying dynamics.