In order to accomplish such a matter-wave-based instrument, optical elements including matter-wave mirror, beam splitter and lens are required. 
 In this introduction, I outline briefly about atom optics and atomic mirrors. Development of the atom optics and atomic mirrors is strongly dependent on the technical development. There are several underlying physical principles for atomic reflection (i.e., classical and quantum reflections). Here, several types of atomic mirrors are described depending on such reflection mechanisms.

1.1 Atom optics

 The early stage of atom optics was in need of further steps while electron and neutron optics were on a fast track [3-7, 1994-review]. In truth, since 1930, when Stern and Estermann showed diffraction of He atoms from the crystal surface of lithium fluoride [2], following studies on atom optics were halted for next 40 years. One of the obstacles for realization of atom optics was a lack of intense and coherent atomic source. Without the proper atomic source, neither static electric or electromagnetic field nor solid materials are suitable to change their motion while preserving their coherence while both of them easily affect motions of neutrons and electrons. There are two reasons for this: 1) electric, magnetic and optical forces upon thermal neutral atoms are too weak to change their motion [8]; and 2) atoms collide with rather than penetrate through the solid material, causing diffusive scattering. 
 Development of a supersonic beam, in the 1970s, appeared to be a starting point to address the aforementioned problems [ref]. Under supersonic expansion, atoms in the high-pressure environment, pass through an orifice into low pressure or vacuum region. Their random thermal motions are, thereby, collimated, i.e.; atomic wave sources with well-defined kinetic energy become available [9]. Such supersonic beams serving as the coherent atomic source enabled various studies on the physisorption or chemisorption as well as the atomic diffraction from the crystal surface [10-18?/scattering//]. Thus, an advent of the proper atomic source played an important role in the revival of atom optics. 
 The further progress in atom optics has been accelerated by the advanced technical developments in laser and nanotechnology such as improved quality and tunability of laser and nano-fabrication technique; Enhanced coherence and intensity of the laser enabled us to observe Bragg scattering and the Kapitza-Dirac effect of atomic waves by generating a standing wave [19-22]. Besides that, intense tunable laser motivated the first approach to an evanescent wave mirror [23,24], by adjusting the detuning frequency with respect to the transition frequency of atoms. In addition, the establishment of nano-fabricated devices has served as atomic optical elements such as transmission grating [25-27] and Fresnel zone plate [28-31]. Until now, those instruments have been the basis of matter-wave interferometry [32-35] as well as atomic de Broglie microscopy [28-31].
 Moreover, attempts to utilize advanced laser technology to explore the atomic motion has led to the laser-cooling and -trapping techniques in the late 20th century. By exploiting such techniques to atoms, ultracold atoms (~\(nK\)) have been produced. In general, the de Broglie wavelength of the ultracold atoms is much larger than that of thermal atoms. Such a large atomic de Broglie wavelength emphasize the wave nature of atoms, giving rise to the quantum mechanical phenomena, e.g.; quantum reflection. For instance, magneto-optically trapped(MOT) metastable neon atoms has led to the first observation of a quantum reflection of the atomic wave from the solid surface [27]. It made a significant advance in atomic mirrors. Hence, such technical developments has been the key to atom optical source as well as elements. 

1.2 Atomic mirror