Engineering the quantum transport of atomic wavefunctions over macroscopic distances

Year: 2009

Authors: Alberti A., Ivanov V.V., Tino G.M., Ferrari G.

Autors Affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica and LENS—Università di Firenze, CNR-INFM, INFN—Sezione di Firenze, via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Abstract: The manipulation of matter waves had an important role in the history of quantum mechanics. The first experimental validation of matter-wave behaviour was the observation of diffraction of matter by crystals(1), followed by interference experiments with electrons, neutrons, atoms and molecules using gratings and Young\’s double slit. More recently, matter-wave manipulation has become a building block for quantum devices such as quantum sensors and it has an essential role in a number of proposals for implementing quantum computers. Here, we demonstrate the coherent control of the spatial extent of an atomic wavefunction by reversibly stretching and shrinking the wavefunction over a distance of more than one millimetre. The quantum-coherent process is fully deterministic, reversible and in quantitative agreement with an analytical model. The simplicity of its experimental implementation could ease applications in the field of quantum transport and quantum processing.

Journal/Review: NATURE PHYSICS

Volume: 5 (8)      Pages from: 547  to: 550

More Information: We would like to thank M. Artoni, N. Poli, C. W. Oates and M. L. Chiofalo for stimulating discussions, M. Schioppo for his contribution in the early stage of the experiment and R. Ballerini, M. De Pas, M. Giuntini, A. Hajeb and A. Montori for technical assistance. This work was supported by LENS, INFN, EU (under Contract No. RII3-CT-2003 506350 and the FINAQS project), ASI and Ente CRF.
DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS1310

Citations: 93
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