Observation of Free-Space Single-Atom Matter Wave Interference
نویسندگان
چکیده
منابع مشابه
A single atom in free space as a quantum aperture
The resonant absorption cross section for a single twostate atom in free space driven by an electromagnetic field of wavelength λ is σ = 3λ/2π [1]. Thus it seems reasonable to assume that a “weak” incident light beam focused onto an area A ∼ σ would experience a loss (as resonance fluorescence) comparable to the incident energy of the beam itself and would, for off-resonant excitation, suffer a...
متن کاملSingle atom in free space as a quantum aperture
We calculate exact three-dimensional solutions of Maxwell equations corresponding to strongly focused light beams, and study their interaction with a single atom in free space. We show how the naive picture of the atom as an absorber with a size given by its radiative cross section s53l/2p must be modified. The implications of these results for quantum-information-processing capabilities of tra...
متن کاملObservation of transverse interference fringes on an atom laser beam.
Using the unique detection properties offered by metastable helium atoms we have produced high resolution images of the transverse spatial profiles of an atom laser beam. We observe fringes on the beam, resulting from quantum mechanical interference between atoms that start from rest at different transverse locations within the outcoupling surface and end up at a later time with different veloc...
متن کاملLocalized single-photon wave functions in free space.
We solve the joint open problems of photon localization and single-photon wave functions in the context of spontaneous emission from an excited atom in free space. Our wave functions are well-defined members of a discrete orthonormal function set. Both the degree and shape of the localization are controlled by entanglement mapping onto the atom wave function, even though the atom is remote from...
متن کاملObservation of atom wave phase shifts induced by van der Waals atom-surface interactions.
The development of nanotechnology and atom optics relies on understanding how atoms behave and interact with their environment. Isolated atoms can exhibit wavelike (coherent) behavior with a corresponding de Broglie wavelength and phase which can be affected by nearby surfaces. Here an atom interferometer is used to measure the phase shift of Na atom waves induced by the walls of a 50 nm wide c...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Physical Review Letters
سال: 2012
ISSN: 0031-9007,1079-7114
DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.230401