Concept of an ionizing time-domain matter-wave interferometer

Abstract

We discuss the concept of an all-optical and ionizing matter-wave interferometer in the time domain. The proposed setup aims at testing the wave nature of highly massive clusters and molecules, and it will enable new precision experiments with a broad class of atoms, using the same laser system. The propagating particles are illuminated by three pulses of a standing ultraviolet laser beam, which detaches an electron via efficient single photon-absorption. Optical gratings may have periods as small as 80 nm, leading to wide diffraction angles for cold atoms and to compact setups even for very massive clusters. Accounting for the coherent and the incoherent parts of the particle-light interaction, we show that the combined effect of phase and amplitude modulation of the matter waves gives rise to a Talbot-Lau-like interference effect with a characteristic dependence on the pulse delay time.

Colloquium: Quantum interference of clusters and molecules

“…However, we estimate that quantum interference with gold nanoclusters of 10 6 amu will require a pressure of less than 10 −9 mbar (Nimmrichter et al, 2011a).…”

“…Current estimates of the strength of the CSL effect by Adler (2007) and Bassi et al (2010) locate its value between 10 −12 Hz and 10 −8 Hz, which also ensures that the CSL predictions are consistent with all currently known micro-and mesoscopic quantum phenomena. Nimmrichter et al (2011a) have shown that the OTIMA interference experiment outlined in Sect. III.C should be able to test the predictions of CSL with nanoparticles in the mass range between 10 6 amu and 10 8 amu.…”

“…Single-photon ionization in the antinodes of the standing wave removes clusters from the incident particle cloud, acting similarly as the massive bars of a material grating. Operated in the time-domain and using short and precisely timed laser pulses, the OTIMA concept avoids many phase averaging effects (Nimmrichter et al, 2011a).…”

“…The use of pulsed optical gratings also allows one to implement an interferometer in the time-domain as discussed in detail by Nimmrichter et al (2011a). Timedomain interferometry was first proposed by Moshinski (1952) for neutrons.…”

“…Thus, the better the probing gas particles can resolve the separation between the interference paths, the stronger the (Ghirardi et al, 1990) in the OTIMA interferometer (Nimmrichter et al, 2011a) with gold clusters. For a mass beyond 10 6 amu the experiments would already rule out a significant value range of the localization parameters λ and rc of the model.…”