Dephasing in matter-wave interferometry

Abstract

We review different attempts to show the decoherence process in double-slit-like experiments both for charged particles (electrons) and neutral particles with permanent dipole moments. Interference is studied when electrons or atomic systems are coupled to classical or quantum electromagnetic fields. The interaction between the particles and time-dependent fields induces a time-varying Aharonov phase. Averaging over the phase generates a suppression of fringe visibility in the interference pattern. We show that, for suitable experimental conditions, the loss of contrast for dipoles can be almost as large as the corresponding one for coherent electrons and therefore, be observed. We analyze different trajectories in order to show the dependence of the decoherence factor with the velocity of the particles.

9 pages, 1 eps-figure. To appear in J. Phys. A: Math. Gen

References in corpus (5)

• Collisional decoherence observed in matter wave interferometry
• Decoherence and recoherence from vacuum fluctuations near a conducting plate
• External Time-Varying Fields and Electron Coherence
• Decoherence induced by a fluctuating Aharonov-Casher phase
• Correlations in interfering electrons irradiated by nonclassical microwaves

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Geometric phases in open systems: an exact model to study how they are corrected by decoherence
• Spin bath interactions effects on the geometric phase
• Inertial Torsion Noise in Matter-Wave Interferometers for Gravity Experiments
• Visibility Fringe Reduction Due to Noise-Induced Effects: Microscopic Approach to Interference Experiments
• Decoherence in a Two Slit Diffraction Experiment with Massive Particles