Reflection spectroscopy of an atomic vapour

Our ability to probe spatially selected atoms at small distances from a surface enabled us to obtain information about atom-surface interaction. We review two experiments in which we monitor the reflected signal from a solid/resonant-vapour interface. One experiment demonstrates the quantum electrodynamical effect induced by the presence cavity on a resonant atomic level. In the other experiment we use inhomogeneous fields to probe the adsorption of atoms on a dielectric surface. We studied the effects of the surface Van der Waals potential on the low excited levels of Cs spectrum by the Selective Reflection Technique, and obtain the residence time of the Cs atoms on a dielectric window using evanescent waves. (author) solid/resonant-vapour