Grazing incidence thermal energy atom scattering (GITEAS) is used for investigating Casimir-Polder interactions between atoms/molecules and surfaces. Our research addresses challenges due to unconventional peak-width variations under grazing incidence conditions, which are often overlooked in traditional TEAS. Our findings reveal how grating curvature, magnification, incidence beam divergence, and angular dispersion impact peak widths, thereby clarifying potential ambiguities in data analysis caused by peak-width variations. Through this comprehensive peak-width analysis, we can expand the research scope beyond atom/molecule-bulk surface interactions using GITEAS. This study opens new avenues for exploring interactions with 2D materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride.

As part of the 2022 HOT articles collection, our article will shortly be made free to access until the end of November 2022 and announced to the PCCP community.

Please find our paper here!