Quantum interference of fast atoms scattered off crystal surfaces

The striking observation of interference structures produced by grazing impact of fast atoms on crystal surfaces reported a few years ago [1,2] has given rise to the development of a powerful surface analysis technique. This article gives a brief account of the main features of the process, using the Surface Eikonal (SE) approximation as a theoretical tool to analyze the different mechanisms responsible for the quantum interference. The SE approach is a semiclassical method based on the use of the eikonal wave function, which takes into account the coherent superposition of transition amplitudes for different axially channeled trajectories. It has proved to provide a quite good description of experimental diffraction patterns for different collision systems