Atom-surface interaction at the nanometre scale: van der Waals-Zeeman transitions in a magnetic field

van der Waals-Zeeman transitions between magnetic states of metastable rare-gas atoms Ar*, Kr* and Xe* (3P2) induced by a solid surface in the presence of a magnetic field, are investigated theoretically and experimentally. By use of a Zeeman slower, metastable argon atoms with various velocities ranging from 170 to 560 m/s allow us to investigate the small impact parameter range (3–7 nm) within which these transitions occur, as well as the effect of atom polarisation on the sharing out of the M states.