Comprehensive peak-width analysis in matter-wave diffraction under grazing incidence conditions

Thermal energy atom scattering at a surface with grazing incidence conditions is an innovative method for investigating dispersive atom-surface interactions with potential application in quantum sensing interferometry. The complete establishment of this technique would require a detailed peak analysis, which has yet to be achieved. We examined peak-width fluctuations in atomic and molecular beams diffracted by a grating under grazing incidence conditions. Careful measurements and analyses of the diffraction patterns of He atoms and D$_2$ molecules from three square-wave gratings with different periods and radii of curvature enabled the identification of factors influencing the variations in the width as a function of the grazing incidence angle. The effects of macroscopic surface curvature, grating magnification, and beam emergence are substantial under these conditions but negligible for incidence angles close to the normal. Our results shed light on the phenomena occurring in grazing incidence thermal energy atom scattering.