Skip to main content
Log in

Signatures of nonlocality in the first-order coherence of scattered light

  • Quantum Optics, Laser Physics, and Spectroscopy
  • Published:
Laser Physics

Abstract

The spatial coherence of an atomic wavepacket can be detected in scattered photons, even when the center-of-mass motion is in the quantum coherent superposition of two distant, nonoverlapping wavepackets. Spatial coherence manifests itself in the power spectrum of the emitted photons, whose spectral components can exhibit interference fringes as a function of the emission angle. The contrast and the phase of this interference pattern provide information about the quantum state of the center of mass of the scattering atom.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. E. Joos, H.D. Zeh, C. Kiefer, D. Giulini, J. Kupsch, and I.-O. Stamatescu, Decoherence and the Appearance of a Classical World in Quantum Theory (Springer, Heidelberg, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  2. W. H. Zurek, Phys. Today 44, 36 (1991); J. P. Paz and W. H. Zurek, in Coherent Matter Waves, Les Houches Session LXXII, Ed. by R. Kaiser, C. Westbrook, and F. David, EDP Sciences (Springer, Berlin, 2001), pp. 533–614.

    Google Scholar 

  3. C. Cohen-Tannoudij, F. Bardou, and A. Aspect, in Laser Spectroscopy X, Ed. by M. Ducloy, E. Giacobino, and G. Camy (World Sci. (Singapore, 1992), pp. 3–14.

  4. H. Katori, S. Schlipf, and H. Walther, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2221 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. J. T. Hoffges, H. W. Baldauf, T. Eichler, et al., Adv. Quantum Chem. 30, 65 (1998); Ch. Raab, J. Eschner, J. Bolle, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 538 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Schomerus, Y. Noat, J. Dalibard, and C. W. J. Beenakker, Europhys. Lett. 57, 651 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. D. Rohrlich, Y. Neiman, Y. Japha, and R. Folman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 173601 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  8. U. Eichmann, J. C. Bergquist, J. J. Bollinger, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 2359 (1993); W. M. Itano, J. C. Bergquist, J. J. Bollinger, et al., Phys. Rev. A 57, 4176 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. T. Schumm, S. Hofferberth, L. M. Andersson, et al., Nature Phys. 1, 57 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. C. Cohen-Tannoudij, J. Dupont-Roc, and G. Grynberg, Atom-Photon Interactions (Wiley, New York, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  11. K. W. Chan, C. K. Law, and J. H. Eberly, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 100402 (2002); K. W. Chan, C. K. Law, and J. H. Eberly, Phys. Rev. A 68, 022110 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  12. B. Blinov, D. L. Moehring, L.-M. Duan, and C. Monroe, Nature (London) 428, 153 (2004); J. Volz, M. Weber, D. Schlenk, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 030404 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. S. Dürr, T. Nonn, and G. Rempe, Nature (London) 395, 33 (1998); Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5705 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. B.-G. Englert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2154 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. O. Mandel, M. Greiner, A. Widera, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 010407 (2003).

  16. M. Saba, T. A. Pasquini, C. Sanner, et al., Science 307, 1945 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. M. O. Scully and K. Drühl, Phys. Rev. A 25, 2208 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. M. Keller, B. Lange, K. Hayasaka, et al., Nature 431, 1075 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. M. R. Gallis and G. N. Fleming, Phys. Rev. A 42, 38 (1990); K. Horneberger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 060601 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. G. M. Meyer, H. J. Briegel, and H. Walther, Europhys. Lett. 37, 317 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Original Text © Astro, Ltd., 2007.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cañizares, P., Görler, T., Paz, J.P. et al. Signatures of nonlocality in the first-order coherence of scattered light. Laser Phys. 17, 903–907 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1054660X0707002X

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1054660X0707002X

PACS numbers

Navigation