Observation of radiation pressure exerted by evanescent waves

Phys. Rev. A 61, 063412 (2000) We report a direct observation of radiation pressure, exerted on cold rubidium atoms while bouncing on an evanescent-wave atom mirror. We analyze the radiation pressure by imaging the motion of the atoms after the bounce. The number of absorbed photons is measured for laser detunings ranging from {190 MHz} to {1.4 GHz} and for angles from {0.9 mrad} to {24 mrad} above the critical angle of total internal reflection. Depending on these settings, we find velocity changes parallel with the mirror surface, ranging from 1 to {18 cm/s}. This corresponds to 2 to 31 photon recoils per atom. These results are independent of the evanescent-wave optical power.