Abstract
We propose atom mirror schemes for a three-level atom Lambda-type interacting with two evanescent fields, which are generated as a result of the total internal reflection of two coherent Gaussian laser beams at the interface of a dielectric prism with vacuum. The forces acting on the atom are derived by means of optical Bloch equations, based on the atomic density matrix elements. The theory is illustrated by setting up the equations of motion for Na-23 atom. Two types of excited schemes are examined, namely the cases in which the evanescent fields have polarization types of sigma(+) - sigma(-) and sigma(+) - pi. The equations are solved numerically and we get results for atomic trajectories for different parameters. The performance of the mirror for the two types of polarization schemes is quantified and discussed. The possibility of reflecting atoms at pre-determined directions is also discussed.