Using atomic interference to probe atom-surface interactions

We show that atomic interference in the reflection from two suitably polarized evanescent waves is sensitive to retardation effects in the atom-surface interaction for specific experimental parameters. We study the limit of short and long atomic de Broglie wavelengths. The former case is analyzed in the semiclassical approximation (Landau-Zener model). The latter represents a quantum regime and is analyzed by solving numerically the associated coupled Schr\"odinger equations. We consider a specific experimental scheme and show the results for rubidium (short wavelength) and the much lighter metastable helium atom (long wavelength). The merits of each case are then discussed.